How Your A/C Unit Keeps the House Cool
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How Your A/C Unit Keeps the House Cool
Having an air conditioning unit is a huge benefit, especially in hot summer. Facing extreme heat, turning on the air conditioning helps a lot, giving you a feeling of freshness. However, sometimes your unit may malfunction: there is no airflow, warm air is blowing, or alternatively, your AC is too cold. All of these may be problems requiring air conditioning service.
It’s easy to notice potential issues if you know how the cooling process occurs. The air conditioner removes heat from the house and releases it outside using refrigerant, providing heat exchange and pleasant colder temperatures inside.
In this article, we will look at which thermostat settings are best to set, as well as how much an air conditioner can cool your home.
How Cold Can the Air Conditioner Be?
Despite the differences in models, air conditioners work according to the same concept. So how cold can an AC get? The unit’s task is to maintain an indoor temperature no lower than 20 degrees from the outdoors. This degree mark is quite enough for a comfortable stay in living spaces even in really hot weather.
Speaking of minimum temperature settings, almost every AC has a lower value of 60 degrees. It is worth keeping in mind that in order not to damage your unit, it is not recommended to turn on the air conditioner when outdoor temperatures are 60 degrees, since the compressor’s lubricants will become too thick due to which the AC will not be able to function properly. It also creates additional wear and tear that may require AC repair or replacement. The exact lowest setting for your unit model should be found in the manual.
If you use heat pumps, then they have no such restrictions. However, if you live in an area with extreme outdoor temperatures, they may be ineffective at cooling.
How the A/C Unit Works
The air conditioner consists of several components:
- Outdoor unit (compressor, fan, and condenser coil)
- Indoor unit (evaporator coils, fan motor)
- Copper tubing
- Expansion valve
The mechanism of operation of the air conditioner is as follows: passing through the AC coils filled with the refrigerant, the warm indoor air is cooled; at this time, the refrigerant is transformed from a liquid into a gas, which is compressed; then the fan draws in outside air, removing heat from the room; at the end, the refrigerant returns to a liquid state and the cycle repeats.
The coordinated operation of all components determines how much can an AC cool your house, ensuring proper airflow and climate control indoors according to the specified settings. However, it is important to carry out regular AC maintenance to avoid hassle with your unit, as well as high utility bills. Among the most common problems customers may have are:
- Clogged air filters. Dirty filters can create some hassles, including the freezing of the air conditioner, poor airflow, inconsistent temperatures, and higher energy consumption with poor efficiency.
- Low refrigerant levels. It is essential to check the freon level from time to time as it is the key element that helps the air conditioner cool your home. Low freon levels or leaks can also cause the unit to freeze because excess humidity and water do not evaporate.
- Fan issues. The failure of this component creates a lack of airflow, which leads to freezing and the inability of the unit to operate.
If you notice any oddities or problems with your AC, it's worth calling a professional team to avoid costly repairs and high energy bills.
Inside & Outside Air Differences
As mentioned earlier, the difference between indoor and outdoor air should not exceed 20 degrees. Also, the humidity level should be around 50-60% for a comfortable stay inside.
In other words, if, for example, the air temperature is 90 degrees, then a running air conditioner should easily reach 70 degrees. At the same time, when the outdoor temperature rises to 100 degrees, it will no longer be possible to reach 70 degrees in most cases. However, if your home has effective insulation this may block the flow of extra heat in indoor air space.
All in all, if the difference exceeds more than 20 degrees, then you will be faced with the fact that your unit does not provide the required temperature, and your utility costs will increase.
How Low You Can Set Your AC
Wondering how much an AC can lower temperature and what thermostat settings are ideal, you should understand that this is individual and may vary, since there are factors that need to be taken into account, for example, shading and insulation of your home, climatic zone, unit model, etc.
The best solution is to set the thermostat to the most comfortable height: you can set the temperature to 78 degrees. It is worth remembering that setting to an extremely low temperature will not give the desired result, but will only lead to additional energy costs.
What Temperature To Set When It's 100 Degrees
In such cases, the best solution would be to set the thermostat to 75-80 degrees. Also, for better results, you can use other cooling appliances and create more insulation by closing windows and curtains.
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