As the summer months quickly approach and it gets hotter in Mishawaka, Indiana, you’re more likely to run your air conditioner daily. This might have you wondering whether it’s safe to continuously run your system. Let’s look at what happens when your HVAC unit runs 24 hours a day.
A Continuously Running HVAC System Increases Your Energy Bill
As far as safety goes, it’s fine to run your air conditioner all day. You don’t have to worry about the components getting too hot or breaking down right away. While safety isn’t a concern, money is. Running your AC unit continuously will increase your energy bill drastically.
Also, running your air conditioner continuously will wear out the unit faster. Like any other machine, the more you use it, the faster it wears out. Even with regular maintenance, you’ll likely shorten the life of your AC unit if you let it run all day, every day.
Your AC Unit Shouldn’t Run All the Time
The real question shouldn’t be if you can run your AC all day. It should be why your AC runs all day. If your AC unit is working correctly, it should only run for 15 to 20 minutes before it reaches your desired temperature. At that point, it should turn off until the temperature starts to rise again. Keep in mind, however, that the hotter the temperature is outside, the more often your AC unit will run.
If your AC unit keeps running and never turns off, it means that it’s failing to reach the temperature you’ve set. There are several reasons why this can happen. For example, your HVAC system might be too small to cool off your house efficiently. AC units are only designed to cool off so many square feet of living space. A good rule of thumb is that you should have a unit that can do at least 20 BTUs per square foot of living space.
Another problem that can make your AC run all day is poor maintenance. If the unit isn’t in proper working order, it must run more often to cool your house. In some cases, it may never properly cool your house at all. Scheduling regular maintenance, as well as doing some maintenance yourself, can keep your AC running properly. For instance, don’t forget to change the air filters on a regular basis, usually every three months.
The Thermostat Should Be Set Correctly
Sometimes, your AC unit might run all day because of a simple oversight. Typically, this happens because the thermostat is set to the wrong setting. If your thermostat is set to “on,” it will run all day regardless of the temperature inside. Instead, you want to set it to “auto” so that it automatically switches “off” and “on” to maintain your desired temperature.
At the same time, make sure that your thermostat isn’t set too low. For example, setting the temperature to 65 degrees Fahrenheit when it’s 95 degrees outside might be more than your AC unit can handle. At this low-temperature setting, the AC will struggle to get to that temperature. The result is that your AC unit runs all day.
Dirty Ductwork Can Cause Problems
In some cases, an HVAC system running constantly isn’t the fault of the unit itself. Rather, it has to do with the ducts that deliver the cool air throughout your home. If your ducts are dirty, the cold air that your AC unit makes might become restricted and unable to cool your home’s rooms, causing it to run all day. It’s important to clean your ductwork periodically so that the air can freely move through your house.
If your ductwork has cracks or has become loosened, that cool air from the AC will be leaking out. This means the AC will run continuously to try to cool your home, costing you more money.
Let Us Provide All the AC Services You Need
Is your AC unit still running all the time, but you don’t know why? Reach out to us so that one of our trained technicians can determine why your AC unit is constantly running. We offer AC service repair in Mishawaka, Indiana and the surrounding areas. We can also do furnace repairs and installations. Reach out to Tyler’s Heating & Cooling today to schedule a service appointment.
