Best practices to keep your air conditioner running smoothly no matter of the cost

[Peter Dobbs]

looking for help on best temperatures I should cool my house down vs the outside temperature. I live in Florida and my main 10 or 12 year old until 3.5 tones carrier and my house is 1800 square feet. Now these mostly information on saving money on your power bill. I want to know which way is healthier for my unit staying at a set temperature compared to the outside temperature or changing the the temperature up and down consistently. My last question what is best degree of comparison to inside vs outside For example it’s 84 degrees today so I shouldn’t go lower then 10 degrees than outside so no lower then 74. Thanks

 

[holden]

We keep ours at the same temperature all the time. I set it for the temperature that makes me the most comfortable. I’d rather be comfortable than save a few bucks and still be warm. Be sure to replace the filter as needed for maximum air flow.

 

[Alesia]

The whole point of air conditioning is to keep yourself comfortable. That should be your primary focus.

For what it's worth, it's best to pick a temperature and stick with it. Raising the temperature is just going to make the air conditioner work harder when you lower it again.

 

[tvguy]

Just like your refrigerator, pick one temperature and stick with it. Your AC won't have to work hard to overcome a large temperature change.

 

[Peter Dobbs]

Thank you for all the replies so far. any info is good to help me make the best decision. I agree with you I think changing the thermostat up when you’re out or at different times like maybe when you’re sleeping are efficient ways to saves on power but could hurt the reliability? Someone said think of it as a fridge always at the sane temperature. I feel keeping it set is the best way. my only thought would be the degrees of temperature deference so I’m not working my air conditioner harder and longer then it can handle. It’s only May 10th and today’s going to be 90 degrees so what would be maximum I could cool my house down without overwhelming the system that’s old and has repairs done. I’m thinking 15 degrees but don’t go above 20 so today I should shot fit 75 but not below 70? I would say my unit is at best 60% and I’d rather be a little warmer then boiling hot. I was blown away by how much my air conditioner ran 39 more hours compared to this month last year and the only difference was 2 degrees. Can anyone tell me if these a way to see how efficient your current AC is working? if I Run my 3.5 tone unit at max what temperature difference to outside temperature should I reach in house 1800 square feet. My thoughts are wait till it’s night and cooler and run full out and see what’s coldest it will go and What ever the number difference between the current outside air temperature I’ll have my maximum difference I can run my AC unit.

 

[tzolkin]

For what it's worth, it's best to pick a temperature and stick with it. Raising the temperature is just going to make the air conditioner work harder when you lower it again.

Just like your refrigerator, pick one temperature and stick with it. Your AC won't have to work hard to overcome a large temperature change.

People always say this, but everything I have ever read says this is simply not true.

It is more efficient and much better for the life of the machine for your AC to run at full speed than to be kicking on and off 24/7 to try to maintain a constant temperature.

Obviously, if you are home all day and want to have it on for your personal comfort that is understandable, but it is definitely better for your AC to adjust the temperature.

 

[tvguy]

People always say this, but everything I have ever read says this is simply not true.

It is more efficient and much better for the life of the machine for your AC to run at full speed than to be kicking on and off 24/7 to try to maintain a constant temperature.

Obviously, if you are home all day and want to have it on for your personal comfort that is understandable, but it is definitely better for your AC to adjust the temperature.

Well, my heat pump is 28 years old and going strong and I've been doing things this way since I put it in and the AC tech says this will give me longer life and lower bills, and it has.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I found the trick in saving money after watching daytime tv... a dehumidifier.... less humid air feels cooler. So you can keep the temp higher but feel cooler. I was surprised more people didnt know. I found people who moved from the basement states with them for sale on cl for like $50. (Whole house ones are 200 and up)

As well we have a smart thermostat, it kicks on/down when I'm in range of the house. I set up the radius. Or I use my phone to turn it up and down. I really like it it shows when it ran and for how long

 

[DLgal]

Outside temperature doesn't matter. We routinely get to the upper 90s and low 100s in the summer. Regardless, my AC is set to 75 during the day and 70 at night. It never struggles and I have it programmed and never touch it. What does help immensely is heat reflecting windows and roof materials. We have both in our home. It is a newer home, built in 2015. It is always cool in here. These upgrades will save you more money than anything you can do to make your AC efficient.
Our home is just about 1850 square ft and our electric bill averages out to $125-150 per month.

 

[OhMari]

Gosh I am waiting for those days. I was outside with A sweatshirt and fleece jacket with my headband on. I think it was 53, it warmed up for a little while around 3 than started going down hill. Sorry for my rant. We built a home 3 years ago. 2000 sq. Ft. House. We have sprayed foam insulation and run the humidifier. I run our air conditioner in the summer about 63 degrees. Our bill is never over $120 a month. People that come over freeze, but I am comfortable, hot flashes are not fun. We were told to keep it consistent at 71 degrees and leave it alone, sorry but I need it cold to sleep.

 

[Peter Dobbs]

I have a WiFi unit which I like a lot. Oh 53 that’s a winters days down here! Already in the high 80’s which isn’t to bad was in the low 90’s last few days. Clearly if you run your unit at 65 I highly doubt it will get that low if it’s 100 outside. You most be up north with temperature that low this late in year. My question is if you’re running as low as 63 what’s the outside temperature? And how many tones is your unit? I’m happy with 20 degrees and keeping it set at 74 all the time. Dlagl what size is unit and both two people who committed on using dehumidifier what % is Average humidity and how much of a difference can you actually notice. Oh I don’t car about the efficiency for savings on using it less I’m trying to find out if these a direct relationship between how much you should cool down a set size house with a set size unit so running all the time will ware out faster and break if it v
Higher and it’s not needed to run as much shouldn’t it last longer. if it’s 50 degrees outside would you need turn on your air conditioner ?

 

[RamblingMad]

I have lived in the southwest and southeast. In the southwest, I kept my AC between 78-80. In the southeast, where it's more humid, I keep my AC between 74-75. I prefer my home warmer, but I can't cut the humidity if I set it much higher. My problem with my current AC unit is that the previous owner went crazy with a high end unit, which has parts failing on me every 4-5 years. It's more efficient, but that efficiency is more than offset by the more expensive repairs.

 

[_19disnA]

AC compressors will cycle on and off depending on the temperature you set your thermostat (set a higher temp, it will run less often; lower temp = more often), that is part of their normal operation. How well your house is insulated, the quality of your windows and the size of your HVAC system will determine how long it has to run to reach a particular temperature. It doesn't run any 'harder', but does run 'longer' when you turn down the temperature setting. In some homes, the builder put in the smallest possible unit and then it has to run longer or maybe constantly to try to keep up on hot days. If your unit runs 24/7 and the house isn't cooling, it is either too small for your home or it needs servicing to replace lost refrigerant. Some people like to run the fan constantly to circulate air, but that doesn't actually produce any cool air.

Turning the AC thermostat to a higher temperature means the unit will run less often. Everyone has their own idea of what temperature is comfortable for them. If the house is empty for several hours during the day (i.e. at school/work), you can save money on your electric bill by turning thermostat to a higher temp or if it is programmable, set it to reach the desired temperature when you will be returning home.

 

[pixiedustedme]

If it's an old unit running in a hot climate, it's just a matter of time until it dies, no matter how minimally you use it or how well you take care of it. I'm a Texan and have been there done that. So have a little savings reserved for the inevitable replacement.

Beyond that, make sure you change the filter regularly. You also need to clean out the pipe regularly. Making the house a little less cool when everyone is out of the house for several hours will save a bit of money & not hurt your system. Just don't turn it off completely on hot days when you're out.

 

[Peter Dobbs]

I was already keeping it at the same temperature and I was thinking the same. Iv been thinking if It breaks I’ll blame myself for not having it turned up higher. So I can feel comfortable knowing it makes no difference and I’ll be colder until then. I have leant all the proper maintenance items trying to extend it as long as possible.


Thank you!

 

[Anthony1971]

one can never predict when an AC will break.... If you keep the outside coils on the compressor clean and change the filter often when it gets dirty this should give you a longer life.... But than again I have a neighbor who has a system that is too small the outside coils look like they took a bath in mud but the thing runs like a champ.. it has to be over 20 years old... You said you have a carrier it should go something like this either the repair will be minor or you will need a new system that is barring any leaks.. Carriers are one of the few systems that have a shut off to protect to the compressor should it run to hot -- like the compressor fan stops working--most of the time this is an easy fix as it is the capacitor-- or your Freon is low. -- carrier does have a 10 year compressor warranty BTW but that no longer matters... there is just nothing you are going to do to make it last longer other than properly having it maintained which you can mostly do yourself... that is providing it is properly sized to your house and the sizing does take in to account not only the size of the house but how well the house is insulated and how cold you want the house.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Our power company recommends 78 degrees for cooling and 68-70 for heating. But we keep it on 78 all year round and never turn on the heat in SW Florida. We have ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, the living room and the den and use them frequently.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Best way to keep your AC healthy? Keep the inside and outside coils clean. Change filters frequently.
Don't freak out if your system breaks down. Sometimes it is pretty common for a 35 dollar capacitor to go bad and for only about 150 bucks, the unit is fixed and running smoothly.

If the AC system seems to not be cooling as effectively as it used to. Have it serviced promptly (leak repair/recharge) before it overworks itself due to being low on "freon".

 

[mrodgers]

Our power company recommends 78 degrees for cooling and 68-70 for heating. But we keep it on 78 all year round and never turn on the heat in SW Florida. We have ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, the living room and the den and use them frequently.

I would melt at 78 in the house. I have an ancient unit and when I would set it to 74 while at work and have it go to 71 when I get off work at 3 pm, it would run until well after sundown to get down to 71. My unit can keep up if I start out in the cool mornings and leave it alone.

I have a '76 mobile home with original single pane windows. Surprisingly, it doesn't cost any more here than it did in my well insulated house when I was married (about the same square foot, 995 for the mobile and 1007 for the house but with complete underground basement. $1200/year for heating oil and AC I can't compare because we just had a single window unit in the living room of the house which didn't do much. My electric is $60 in the winter and $120 in the summer.

68-71 with AC kicking down to 65 at night and 64-66 in the winter with heat and I still wear shorts and t-shirt in the house all year.

 

[seashoreCM]

A dehumidifier is mechanically the same thing* as an air conditioner.

Use a dehumidifier if the room temperature is relatively low to begin with but where the humidity makes it feel cold and clammy.

Use the AC when the room temperature is above your typical confort level.

*They both have a cooling coil. If the incoming air is quite humid some moisture will condense on that coil. In order to accomplish cooling, "heat" has to be "dumped" somewhere typically using a second coil. For an AC the second coil is outside. For a dehumidifier the second coil is next to the first coil and reheats the cooled air after moisture has condensed from that air.