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When summer rolls around and occasional heat waves become daily obstacles, you might be tempted to leave your air conditioner running throughout the day. But before you decide to blast the AC and turn your home into a winter wonderland, it’s worth looking into what this could mean for your air conditioner.
Running your AC all day is bad because it leads to excessive energy consumption, resulting in higher utility bills and a greater carbon footprint. The continuous operation also puts strain on the AC unit, potentially leading to more frequent breakdowns and costly repairs. Additionally, it can create an overly conditioned indoor environment, causing discomfort and affecting your body’s natural ability to adapt to temperature variations.
Shortened Life Span
Most modern air conditioners have an average life span of 10 to 12 years. However, this will depend on various factors, like how often you schedule professional maintenance and how long you use your AC. Running your air conditioner 24/7 puts far more strain on your HVAC system than expected. This speeds up the wear and tear on your AC, effectively shortening its life span.
Wasted Energy
A common misconception about keeping an AC running all day is that it’ll use less energy overall from not needing to use as much power to cool down a room that’s already cold. The truth is, however, if the area of your space isn’t efficiently insulated or if it’s just too big an area for your AC to handle, your AC will use up energy if the room’s temperature remains higher than your AC’s coolest temperature setting. This not only leads to a considerable waste of energy but also harms the environment due to high levels of carbon emissions.
Faster Air Filter Clogs
As your AC works to cool your home, it pulls in the hot air from within your home, which is then absorbed by your AC’s refrigerant, returning cold air back into your home. As this process happens, the constant airflow passes through your AC’s filter. With regular use, it’s recommended to change your air filters at least once a month. However, with constant use, your AC’s air filters are prone to get clogged faster than usual, leading to lower indoor air quality, more stress on your AC, and other issues.
Risk of AC Failure
Another consequence of running your AC all day is the risk of possible AC failure. That’s because when you run your AC all day, it’s in danger of having its evaporator coils freezing over. Frozen coils result in little to no airflow, which effectively means total AC failure. While it may still turn on, it won’t be able to cool your home. Frozen coils can also cause refrigerant to flood back into your AC’s compressor and cause damage to your unit.
Home Still Not Cooling Down?
If you’re finding that there’s no way to keep your home cool unless you’re running your AC 24/7, this could mean a variety of underlying issues with your AC, including:
- Low refrigerant or leaks
- Incorrect size for the area
- Hasn’t been serviced for a while
- AC is over 10 years old
- Faulty or broken parts
While there are a few ways to troubleshoot issues with your air conditioner, it’s always recommended to have yours serviced by a professional. This ensures that if something is wrong with your AC, you’ll have the trusted help of experts who can get the job done right and avoid causing more damage to your unit.
If you suspect something’s wrong with your AC, our technicians at Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical are here to help. Call 704.665.5998 to speak with a technician today!
