Current:Home > MyYour air conditioner isn't built for this heat. 5 tips can boost performance-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Your air conditioner isn't built for this heat. 5 tips can boost performance
View Date:2024-12-23 23:10:28
With much of the country in the grips of a massive heat wave, many people who have air conditioners in their homes are running them overtime.
But these extreme temperatures present a significant challenge to AC systems, which engineers and installers say are really only designed to keep indoor temperatures about 20 degrees cooler than outside.
With temperatures in many parts of the U.S. well in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in recent days, that can pose a big problem, says Srinivas Garimella, a professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech.
"Most new systems in the U.S. are designed for a 95 degree day. That's a hot day, but we're having more and more of those days," he says.
Under these conditions, "your efficiency drops and you actually lose a little capacity, which means the unit is going to run non-stop," according to James Barry, who owns Doctor Cool & Professor Heat, a company in League City, a suburb of Houston.
All air conditioners work the same
Garimella explains that all air conditioners work on the same basic principle — a cold, low-pressure refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat from a room and then is compressed before condensing and releasing the heat by way of an outdoor heat exchanger. The refrigerant is then recycled in a closed loop.
He compares the energy required to do this to climbing a mountain. The hotter the outdoor temperature, the more effort (and energy) needed to make the climb. "So, the higher the ambient temperature, the more the compressor has to work, the more electricity [is] needed, and the problem just keeps getting compounded," he says.
Compressors work less efficiently at higher heat, which means they need more power to do the job. Higher humidity also places "a humongous additional load" on an air conditioning system, he says.
Simply installing a bigger air conditioner might sound like a solution to the problem. Not so, according to Reinhard Radermacher, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland.
It may be fine on the hottest days, but "if 90% of the time [an air conditioner] is oversized," it's not efficient, he says.
Getting the most out of your air conditioner
Even so, there are some things you can do to maximize your air conditioner's effectiveness even as it struggles to keep things cool.
Don't fool with the thermostat. Set it at a desired, comfortable temperature — say, 72 degrees F — and leave it alone. "If you keep it at a low level just running all the time, it is far more efficient" than throttling the thermostat, according to Garimella.
Clean filters and the coils on the outdoor heat exchanger. Dirty filters impede air flow, and dusty coils make it harder for the heat exchanger to work efficiently. "A lot of people do not maintain their basic unit. If you can keep a real good clean outdoor coil, it definitely helps the air conditioner remove the heat," Barry says.
Turn off heat-producing appliances. "During the hottest part of the day, turn off anything that produces heat such as stoves, dishwashers, lights, etc.," according to Fritts, a heating and air conditioning company based in Georgia.
Run a ceiling fan. "The sensation of comfort comes from [both] the temperature of the air and the breeze that's blowing at you." A ceiling fan definitely helps, Garimella says.
Cool down at night and shade the windows. "Cool down the house at night as much as possible. And then when the sun comes up in the next morning, shade all windows [and] keep the windows and doors closed as much as possible," according to Radermacher.
Beyond those basics, there are longer-term solutions, such as better insulation and using trees to shade a house, Radermacher says.
Also, variable-speed compressors, which are found only in more expensive ACs, work more efficiently than single-speed compressors, Garimella says.
Systems with variable-speed compressors "will only function at the capacity that is needed for the house. And that makes a very big difference in its efficiency and its capability to keep up with the load," he says.
What about new air conditioning technologies? There's "no silver bullet" on the horizon, Radermacher says. "There's a bunch of new technologies under way, but they all have to follow the same dynamics" as current air conditioning systems, he says.
Meanwhile, in League City, a string of 100 degree or hotter days means Barry's technicians are pulling 12-hour days trying to keep up with service calls. They do much of their work in attics, where he estimates temperatures are averaging 120 to 130 degrees most days.
Clients who purchased equipment from the company or have service contracts take priority. "Right now, with this extreme heat, we're actually having to turn away calls," he says.
veryGood! (8323)
Related
- Worker trapped under rubble after construction accident in Kentucky
- A large metal gate falls onto and kills a 9-year-old child at an elementary school
- Staggering rise in global measles outbreaks in 2022, CDC and WHO report
- Ward leads Washington State to 56-14 romp over Colorado; Sanders exits with injury
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
- Jordan’s foreign minister offers blistering criticism of Israel as its war on Hamas rages on
- Bangladesh’s top court upholds decision barring largest Islamist party from elections
- Investigators found fire and safety hazards on land under I-10 in Los Angeles before arson fire
- Roy Haynes, Grammy-winning jazz drummer, dies at 99: Reports
- Expecting Guests? 13 Cleaning Products Reviewers Swear By to Get Your Home Ready
Ranking
- Full House Star Dave Coulier Shares Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Diagnosis
- 'There's people that need water.' Taylor Swift pauses Eras show in Rio to help fans
- Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Flock to Plastics Treaty Talks as Scientists, Environmentalists Seek Conflict of Interest Policies
- 'The Crown' Season 6: When does Part 2 come out? Release date, cast, how to watch
- Why Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams May Be Rejoining the George R.R. Martin Universe
- Tiger Woods commits to playing in 2023 Hero World Challenge
- CBS to host Golden Globes in 2024
- Judge rejects Trump motion for mistrial in New York fraud case
Recommendation
-
Wisconsin authorities believe kayaker staged his disappearance and fled to Europe
-
The NBA is making Hornets star LaMelo Ball cover up his neck tattoo. Here's why.
-
K-12 schools improve protection against online attacks, but many are vulnerable to ransomware gangs
-
More cases of applesauce lead poisoning announced by Oregon Public Health, FDA
-
Maine dams face an uncertain future
-
Arkansas man used losing $20 scratch-off ticket to win $500,000 in play-it-again game
-
Ford workers join those at GM in approving contract settlement that ended UAW strikes
-
Philippines leader Marcos’ visit to Hawaii boosts US-Philippines bond and recalls family history