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What Are My A/C's Limits and Why Are They Important?

What Are My A/C's Limits and Why Are They Important?

When taking care of your air conditioning, it's important to know what the system's limits are. As with most objects, pushing past their limits can result in system failure. In some cases, it can lead to irreplaceable damage. If this happens, you might need a whole new system. As a homeowner, it's smart to know the limits of your HVAC system. This is so that you can run your system within these limits.

Understanding the 20 Degree Rule

Residential air conditioners can cool a home up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If your home is 90 degrees, your air conditioner could lower the temperature in your home to, at most, 70 degrees. It's important to realize that this is a general rule of thumb. Other factors will affect your indoor air temperature. This includes the amount of home insulation you have installed. The more insulation you have, the faster your home can cool down. This is important in places like your basement and attic that may not have the best ventilation.

How to Prevent Continuous Running of Your HVAC System

If you've ever turned your thermostat down to its lowest temperature, you know that it stops at 60 degrees. That's a pretty chilly temperature to set your thermostat at, but let's assume that you do. Let's also assume that the indoor temperature is currently 85 degrees.

Following the 20 degree rule, your HVAC system will only cool your indoors by 20 degrees. This means your HVAC system can only get your indoor home temperature down to 65 degrees. Since the thermostat is set at 60 degrees, your air conditioner will continue to run.

This puts unnecessary strain on your HVAC system. This can cause early wear and tear of many of the parts. It's very common for your system to overheat when it's running on a constant basis. This is due to the set temperature being well below the actual indoor temperature.

Is a More Powerful System Possible?

When most people learn about the 20 degree rule, they wonder if they can buy a more powerful HVAC unit. Residential air conditioning units are not more powerful for a reason. They would need a large amount of energy to run. Additionally, the temperature that would blow out of the vents would be very chilly. This would make your home colder and uncomfortable.

Call Our HVAC Professionals Today

Knowing how your HVAC system works and knowing its limits helps your system run better. One of our HVAC professionals can make sure that you have the right-size HVAC unit for your home. Then, they can tell you on how to make sure you don't push your air conditioner past its limits.

If you have pushed your system past it's limits, no worries. Our experienced HVAC professionals can repair damage to your system. We will get it back up and running for your family. You can always rely on our experienced HVAC professionals to get the job done right.