Current:Home > ContactTradeEdge-Your air conditioner isn't built for this heat. 5 tips can boost performance -WealthMap Solutions
TradeEdge-Your air conditioner isn't built for this heat. 5 tips can boost performance
Ethermac Exchange View
Date:2025-04-07 23:28:40
With much of the country in the grips of a massive heat wave,TradeEdge 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! (35)
Related
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- The human cost of climate-related disasters is acutely undercounted, new study says
- Utah House kills bill banning LGBTQ+ Pride flags and political views from classrooms
- Founder of New York narcotics delivery service gets 12 years for causing 3 overdose deaths
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Man gets life in prison after pleading guilty in the sexual assaults of 4 women in their Texas homes
- A 911 call claiming transportation chief was driving erratically was ‘not truthful,” police say
- Surge in Wendy’s complaints exposes limits to consumer tolerance of floating prices
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Starbucks, Workers United union agree to start collective bargaining, contract discussions
Ranking
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- NTSB report casts doubt on driver’s claim that truck’s steering locked in crash that killed cyclists
- Oprah chooses The Many Lives of Mama Love as newest book club pick
- This ‘Love is Blind’ contestant's shocked reaction to his fiancée went viral. Can attraction grow?
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Founder of New York narcotics delivery service gets 12 years for causing 3 overdose deaths
- ‘Naked Gun’ reboot set for 2025, with Liam Neeson to star
- At least 1 dead, multiple injured in Orlando shooting, police say
Recommendation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Housing market shows no sign of thawing as spring buying season nears
$1 million in stolen cargo discovered in warehouse near Georgia port
Who might replace Mitch McConnell? An early look at the race for the next Senate GOP leader
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Multiple Mississippi prisons controlled by gangs and violence, DOJ report says
Judge declines to pause Trump's $454 million fraud penalty, but halts some sanctions
‘Nobody Really Knows What You’re Supposed to Do’: Leaking, Abandoned Wells Wreak Havoc in West Texas