During normal summer weather, your air conditioner will be running approximately fifteen minutes in every cooling cycle. However, if your cooling cycles last thirty minutes, or sixty minutes, or the entire day, there is probably something wrong with your air conditioning system. Today we will discuss what might be going on if your air conditioner is always running and what you can do to fix the problem.

Why Does It Matter If The Air Conditioner Runs Often?

There are two reasons why it is a problem if your air conditioner is constantly running. First, it will waste a lot of energy. When your air conditioner runs a lot, it consumes more energy, and your energy bills will be higher. Second, your AC system will be under more stress, and the components of the system are more likely to break down and require repairs.

Six Potential Reasons Why The Air Conditioner Is Constantly Running

Your air conditioner may be too small for the size of the house it is trying to cool. Whenever a new air conditioner is installed in a home, the contractor must take steps to ensure that it is the right size for the house. If the home is too large for the size of the air conditioner, the AC unit will constantly run because it does not have the power to cool the home. The proper way to deal with this is to put in an air conditioner that is the right size for your home.

The air conditioner is old. When air conditioners get old, they become less able to cool the house properly. Parts of the system start to be inefficient, and the air conditioner constantly works in an effort to cool the home. A new air conditioner will use much less energy and will also have a shorter cooling cycle.

The house has air leaks. The ductwork in your home can develop leaks, and air leaks can also start to form around doors and windows. Air that has been processed by your air conditioner will escape through these leaks, and your air conditioner must work harder to cool the home. You can prevent this by sealing leaks in the home, particularly around doors and windows.

The cooling coils are covered with dirt. When the cooling coils have accumulated dirt, the air conditioner is less able to remove heat from the house. For this reason, you should have the coils cleaned each year, or you can call Jerry Kelly if the coils are dirty.

The setting of the thermostat keeps the air conditioner running. The air conditioner is designed to handle a specific difference in the temperature inside the house and outside the house. If it is 95 degrees outside and you set your thermostat at 65 degrees, the air conditioning system will have to work very hard to achieve this much cooling. It will not have to work as hard if you have it set to a temperature that is more reasonable.

The weather outside is abnormally hot. On days that are extremely hot, it is normal for the air conditioner to run much more often than it usually does. You should not worry about this because the cooling cycles will be normal once the air outside returns to a more moderate temperature.