If you want to keep your outdoor AC unit from getting hot, install it on the north or east side of your home. The north side receives the least amount of light, and while the east side will receive light in the morning, it will still be cooler outside, so the AC unit won't get as hot naturally.
Provide shade for your AC system's outdoor unit. If your air conditioner's outdoor unit (AKA. the condenser) is located in a shady spot, it won't have to work as hard to cool air as it would in direct sunlight. In a pinch, you can put up an outdoor umbrella to cast some shade on the unit.
Since 72 degrees is generally agreed upon to be an ideal indoor temperature, most people would probably still feel comfortable setting their AC units slightly higher than this, perhaps at around 75.
Yes, spraying a fine mist at the condenser coil will help your AC run better on very hot days. The water evaporates and that cools the fins or the air entering the fins, just like sweating cools down your body. Cooler air entering the condenser = easier for the AC to move heat out of your house.
You should absolutely hose down your air conditioner if you have the means to do so. After all, the condenser's main job is to pull in air and cool it off, so when it “pulls,” it also drags anything loose with it, including pollen, grass clippings, and dirt.
First, check your filters and coils for dirt and debris that may be impeding airflow. Once you've cleaned the filters and coils, run the air conditioner with just the fan so that the ice accumulation can melt off. If the AC still doesn't blow cold air, it could be that refrigerant levels are too low.
For many of us, 70 degrees is the ideal indoor temperature, but when it is close to 100 degrees outside, your AC unit will be working quite hard to meet these expectations. Consider setting your thermostat at 75 degrees to 80 degrees in your home if the outside temperature is approaching triple digits.
The best way to save money is by combining both. The “run” feature lets you preset the temperature when you're not home to prevent wasting money on cooling or heating an empty home. Meanwhile, the “hold” button lets you change the room's temperature without changing your energy-saving, preset schedule.
If the temperature is set to 74°F but the thermometer shows 78°F, you will have to recalibrate the thermostat to account for this 4-degree deviation. Even with older AC units or furnaces, you might have to recalibrate your thermostat from time to time.
If you have central air, experts suggest covering up your outdoor AC compressor unit in the autumn only, not in the winter, unless you choose a mesh design. Since new HVAC units are built to hold up to the elements, covering it in the winter could do more harm than good, leading to trapped moisture, mold, and rust.
Although it can be tempting to shield your outside AC unit, it doesn't need that type of protection, as it's built to be in the elements all year long. Not only is it designed to be in extreme weather, but it also is built to allow air to flow in to help with debris and accumulating moisture.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that sunlight shining on the condenser unit for even a few hours a day can increase your monthly cooling costs by more than 10%. It is important to note that this number is based on an average across the entire country.
Your air conditioner isn't designed for extreme heat. Tips to keep cool Extreme temperatures present a significant challenge to AC systems, which engineers and installers say are really only designed to keep indoor temperatures about 20 degrees cooler than outside.
If your AC is running but not cooling, it could be due to a dirty air filter, incorrect thermostat settings, a malfunctioning thermostat, a refrigerant leak, dirty condenser coils, blocked vents or ducts, a faulty compressor, frozen evaporator coils, or electrical issues.
Simply put, when you spray tap water on your coils, they may temporarily cool (due to evaporative cooling processes), but water also has minerals which will over time, add scale to your coils. This coating of minerals will insulate the coils, severely reducing your AC's cooling ability.
The main benefit of setting the thermostat to 'Auto' is that it will result in more energy efficient usage. This is because the fan will run only when it's required. Also, the air filter will need to be changed or cleaned less frequently when the thermostat setting is set to 'Auto'.
By pressing “Hold”, your thermostat will lock in the temperature it's currently at until you change it again. When you are ready for your normal schedule to resume, simply press the “Run” button and return to your typical programming. Convenient, right? Programmable thermostats are a great technological innovation.
Set your thermostat to 68 degrees
68 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Department of Energy. But if that's too specific, anywhere around 70 degrees is a good target when it gets cold, Ram Narayanamurthy, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office, told USA TODAY.
The California Energy Commission recommends that homeowners set their thermostat to 78 degrees when they're home and 85 degrees when they're away from home during the summer.
Cooling a house from 80 to 72 degrees is a common goal for many, especially during the peak of summer. On average, this process takes roughly two and a half to three and a half hours.
Most air conditioning systems can only handle a 20-degree difference between the outside and inside air temperatures. If it's 80 degrees outside and your thermostat is set to 70, your unit should have no problem.
When you notice that your air conditioner isn't cooling, your first action should be to turn it off. This might seem counterintuitive—after all, you want your home to be cool. However, continuing to run an AC that isn't effectively cooling can cause further damage to the system.
In general, wall and window air conditioning units with smaller capacities can typically run for up to eight hours at a time before they need to rest. Larger wall and window units have a longer running time of around 10 to 12 hours, depending on their cooling power.