Every single air conditioner is going to work differently. Sure, they’re all designed in factories to look and function the same, but they’re controlled by humans with different preferences and lifestyles. This means that your air conditioner is likely going to work a lot differently than your neighbor’s air conditioning system, and you might have some unique problems that nobody aside from a licensed professional can help you with.
So, let’s discuss the elephant in the room before we get into the specifics. We’re talking about your thermostat, the little device that communicates between you and your air conditioner. It’s going to be the difference between an air conditioner that’s stressed out and running in long cycles, and one that’s in perfect shape.
Everyone sets their thermostats differently, but there are some general guidelines we’d like to discuss. And if you’re at all frustrated with the functionality of your cooling, be sure to call our team for AC repair in Sapulpa, OK.
Any Temperature Setting Below 70 Degrees
We’re not going to knock anyone’s preferences if they like temperatures below 70 degrees. In fact, Spring, Fall, and Winter are some people’s favorite seasons for these exact reasons. But the big problem with setting your thermostat in the 60s or below, is due to the energy cost and the mechanical restrictions of your AC system.
Air conditioners are not designed to customize comfort at no cost. It requires more electricity to cool your home down more. Also, an air conditioner is only designed to cool temperatures about 20 degrees below the outdoor temperature, meaning that if it’s 90 degrees, you won’t realistically get your home any lower than 70.
So, even though a cooler home might be your ideal preference, you’re going to see a higher energy bill and some problems with your AC if you set the temperature lower than 70 degrees during the day. At night, you can lower it a bit more since the sun isn’t out.
70-78 Degrees
This is the sweet spot, according to Energy.gov and the ENERGY STAR program. Usually, setting your thermostat to anywhere between 70-78 degrees is going to give your system enough leeway to work efficiently without allowing your home to be uncomfortable.
Match your AC with a ceiling fan or other boxed fan system so you can get great airflow to lower the temperature even more.
If you’re not home, we suggest leaving the setting at 78 degrees, or a little bit higher if you don’t have any pets that will need to stay comfortable in your absence. This will maximize your energy savings and ease the burden on your system.
79 Degrees and Above
This might be overdoing it a bit. We understand people get nervous about the amount of electricity that the air conditioner consumes, but there’s no reason to endure an uncomfortable house if you have an AC that works.
Sure, if you enjoy the warmer weather and don’t need to feel temperatures below 79 degrees, then by all means, go for it. But at that point, you might as well shut your AC off and use fans to get comfort.
For more temperature control tips, or help with your struggling AC, contact JC Mechanical, The Wizard of Blizzard!