Why Turning Up the A/C During the Day Is a Good Idea

The combined heat and humidity experienced in the Palm Beach area during summer months makes air conditioning a must. In order to save on utility costs, however, it’s important to use your home’s air conditioning as efficiently as possible. Turning up the A/C while you’re away from home is an excellent way to save on utility costs. During milder summer days, you might even consider turning it off.

Turning up the A/C while you’re away from home provides energy efficiency in two ways:

• Operating Efficiency – Many homeowners believe that running the air conditioning during the day at a regular comfort setting is the optimal way to keep their home cool. This is not the case. Air conditioning units run optimally when operating at full speed. Therefore, the air conditioning unit is more efficient when it cools down the home after it’s been allowed to get hot all day, than it is running for short periods throughout the day to keep a comfortable temperature in an empty house. Turn up the thermostat eight to 10 degrees when you leave for work in the morning.
• Humidity Control – Air conditioners are better able to remove excess moisture from the air when they run at full, continuous speed, as they do when recovering from warmer temperatures. In addition to increased efficiency, the home’s overall indoor air quality is improved when the A/C is running continuously.

This strategy is much easier to execute if you have a programmable thermostat to control your home’s temperature. A programmable thermostat can be set to run a predefined program based on the time of day. Homeowners can program the temperature to increase once the occupants have left for the day and to return to their comfort level before they return home. A programmable thermostat both optimizes energy efficiency and indoor air comfort.

For additional information on turning up the A/C or how to make your HVAC system more efficient, please contact us at Preferred Air Conditioning & Mechanical. Our expert HVAC technicians have faithfully served the Palm Beach area for more than 20 years.

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