Here's the thing: It's normal for your AC to run continuously during hot summer months. You see, on extremely hot days—we're talkin' high 90s to 100s—your system needs to keep up with the incoming heat. To do that, it will run longer in order to maintain a constant, desired temperature in your home.
Yep, perfectly normal. A properly designed system should run 24 hours per day on the hottest day of the year.
An undersized air conditioning system most commonly manifests as an air conditioner that never stops running. When this occurs, cooling coil pressure will start to drop before freezing over, which could damage your AC's compressor.
During such extreme heat, your AC works hard to maintain the right temperature inside your home, which means longer run times and more frequent cooling cycles. If your air conditioner is constantly turning on and off, it might indicate other issues such as thermostat errors, dirty filters, or restricted airflow.
There are a few reasons why this might happen: it may be an easily-fixed mix-up in your thermostat's HVAC settings, the need for some basic maintenance, or a potentially-serious electrical problem.
If it's the first time your AC has overheated and it's a particularly hot day, let the system cool down for a while before turning it back on. If the system keeps overheating, however, you need to locate the source of the problem before continuing to use your AC.
Simply put, running the A/C and heater will dehumidify and remove moisture from the air. To explain further, the relative humidity is the percentage to the dew point for droplets to form. This point increases as temperatures rise.
When things are working right, your central air conditioner should run for 15 to 20 minutes and then turn off for a few minutes. It will do this two or three times every hour. It may run longer when it's sweltering outside.
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.
Your AC unit should run its cycles for about 15 to 20 minutes, no more than a couple of times within an hour. If your AC is running for long cycles, it could also indicate a problem. Any AC system failure left unsolved could mean a costly repair and a hefty electricity bill.
When temperatures outside become higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the air conditioning system can consume more energy and begin to malfunction or fail. Most air conditioning systems are designed to function with outside temperatures of 100 degrees or less.
Leaving your air conditioning unit running all day won't typically cause damage to the unit itself, but it can strain the system and result in costly energy bills. Running your air conditioner non-stop for extended periods without regular maintenance leads to wear and tear on the unit.
On a 90-degree day, your AC system might need to run more frequently to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Typically, an AC unit should run for about 15-20 minutes per cycle.
Dirty or clogged air filters can impede the airflow in your AC system. When the air filter is blocked, the system has to work much harder to push air through, leading to decreased cooling efficiency. Solution: Regularly check and change your air filters, especially during the summer months.
On an average summer day, a general guideline is that your AC should operate between 12 and 16 hours. However, several factors can influence this, including the outdoor temperature, desired indoor temperature, the size and type of your unit, and your home's energy efficiency.
Malfunctions affecting different system components can prevent the conditioner unit from shutting down as expected, such as a clogged air filter, a frozen evaporator coil, a faulty electrical relay switch, a dirty condenser coil, a constantly blowing fan, a bad thermostat, low refrigerant, and other HVAC system repair ...
The longer your unit runs, the more power it will pull and the higher your electric bill will be. Your air conditioning unit has an expected operating life. Once that operating life is reached, it will become defective and inoperational.
Your air conditioner can end up as as overheated and overtaxed in the summer as you can. If your unit is working too hard, it may stop working as efficiently as it used to, or it may even ice over. Thankfully, it's not too hard to ease up some of the pressure on your unit.
If the AC unit or furnace constantly runs and doesn't turn off when the desired temperature is reached, the wiring within the thermostat may be failing. It can also be a sign of miscalibration, which causes the thermostat to send the incorrect signals to the air conditioner, furnace, or heat pump.
Incorrect Wiring
If you recently had a new HVAC unit installed, the technicians may have incorrectly wired your new system. This incorrect wiring could be causing your air conditioner and heater to come on at the same time. This may also be the case if you replaced your thermostat recently.
However, leaving your AC on all day consumes more energy and adds wear and tear to your system, which may cost you more money for repairs in the long run. That's why regular maintenance is recommended — it's a great way to keep your air conditioner working optimally.
While you might be tempted to simply turn the AC off, it's actually better to adjust the temperature several degrees higher, by about 7-10 degrees. By installing a programmable thermostat and making this simple adjustment you can potentially save as much as 10% on your energy bill.