When homeowners leave the home for more than three to four hours at a time during peak heat periods, they oftentimes turn off their AC, leaving their home with no ventilation. While they’re out, the indoor home temperature rises considerably. It can be 95 degrees outside and by the time you arrive home, the indoor temperature has risen to 88 degrees.
This is an uncomfortable temperature for most families so turning on the air conditioner is the logical solution, but the average comfortable home tep is 73 to 75 degrees. This puts stress on the air conditioner, as it may take hours to lower indoor room temperature (as a whole) from 88 degrees to 75 degrees.
When the home gets too hot and the AC has to work overtime, it:
- Stresses out the air conditioning system, adding strain
- Expends extra energy
- Costs more to bring the home to a comfortable temperature, and reduces the lifespan of the AC system
SOLUTION: When you know you’ll be out of the house during peak heat hours, leave the air conditioner on and set to a reasonable temperature (78 to 80 degrees). When you return home, adjust the thermostat to a comfortable 75 degrees. Your home will be more comfortable in much less time, and with much less stress to your air conditioner.