The more you reduce your cooling time on a hot day, the sooner you can enjoy a comfortable indoor environment. Your home should be a refuge from the blazing heat of an Arizona summer day. However, if you’ve been out for a while, the indoor temperature may have heated up considerably in your absence. To move a hot house into the comfort zone ASAP, here are some considerations to keep in mind:
Low thermostat settings don’t reduce your cooling time.
Pushing the thermostat setting way down into the extremely low range will not cool a hot house any faster. The BTU capacity of your central air conditioner is a fixed specification. It removes heat from indoor air at the same rate as long as the system’s running, no matter how low you set the thermostat. Setting an extremely low temperature on the thermostat risks overcooling your house and wasting energy.
Leaving the AC running helps.
Leaving the air conditioner on while you’re gone for the day with the thermostat at a moderate setting actually uses less energy than turning the system off entirely and allowing the indoor temperature to soar into the extreme range. Cooling an overheated house consumes lots of energy, as a typical residential AC will require about three hours of continuous operation to lower the indoor temperature just 10 degrees.
Professional maintenance matters.
Make sure your air conditioner gets annual preventative maintenance by a qualified HVAC service provider. In addition to a list of manufacturer-recommended maintenance, the service includes checking for issues like low refrigerant and leaky ductwork, which impact how rapidly your system cools the house.
Change your air filter.
Do your part by making sure you change the air filter every month all summer long. This supports maximum airflow which, in turn, helps your AC cool the house as fast as possible. If you don’t know how to change the filter, your HVAC contractor will be happy to demonstrate this simple process.
For trusted advice and professional maintenance services to reduce your cooling time this summer, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company.