Did you got a new air conditioner for your room or house and wondered, “how long should an air conditioner run?” The usual length of time that an air conditioner should run is about 15 to 20 minutes in a cycle, around two or three times per hour.
An air conditioner is a system that removes the heat from a particular area and moving it outside, which then cools the room.
The coolant, which removes the heat, flows through a compressor unit and a condenser, then pumps the warm air outside, turning it back into a cool liquid. The air conditioning cycle is how long an A/C is running, so it is essential to know how long it should run. When your air conditioning unit is constantly running, it reduces the pressure in the cooling coil until it freezes.
Freezing of the cooling coil could be dangerous because it can cause damage when the liquid refrigerant overflows to the compressor. Knowing the length of the A/C cycle is necessary to regulate the temperature inside your home and avoid any damage.
Regulating The Air-Con Cycle
Different factors affect how long you should turn your A/C to cool a particular area. These factors include the A/C unit size, room area, external temperature, as well as the initial temperature inside your home before you set the A/C on. Moreover, the cycle of an air conditioning unit depends on external and internal temperatures.
The usual amount of time an A/C should run is only about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, but it may also differ based on certain circumstances. Here are four different factors influencing how long should an air conditioner run based on the interchanging weather.
Factor #1. Outdoor temperature
During a humid day, the A/C unit should run for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and automatically turn off once the desired setting reaches the indoor temperature. If I were you, I would understand how to measure indoor temperature. When the temperature is exceptionally high outside, the run time for your cooling system will take longer than usual.
Factor #2. Room size
One of the critical factors to consider when learning the length of time for your air conditioning system to run is your room or house size. If a room is big, you would need a larger size A/C unit to set the cycle of your air conditioning unit correctly at 15 to 20 minutes. On the other hand, when your room is smaller, you need the A/C size that is just right for your room, specifically a smaller unit.
When your A/C unit is too small or too large for your home, the run time per cycle would be too long or too short, which would later cause some issues with your cooling system. Long cycles occur when your A/C unit is not big enough for your room, and it takes a long time for your air conditioning system to cool the area.
Meanwhile, short cycles occur when your A/C is larger than the room and goes through the rotations a bit faster than usual. The long and short cycles could both affect the temperature inside your home and the state of your air conditioning unit.
Factor #3. Size of air conditioning unit
If the size of your A/C unit is big, its run time will decrease to 10 minutes or lesser. Since the cycle time is short, it turns on and off too quickly, affecting the unit and the indoor temperature. When the A/C unit goes through the cycles quicker than usual, this will cause short cycling, impacting the humidity inside your home.
So, when choosing an A/C unit for your home, select the appropriate size for your home to avoid any problems. If the area to be cooled is small, choose the small size; if the area you had is large, choose a larger A/C unit that would moderately cool your room.
Factor #4. Thermostat setting
Thermostats are used when you want to control the temperature of your room. The thermostat is the control center of the air conditioning unit that reads the indoor temperature and automatically sets the A/C system when to turn on or off; in other words, it is the one that signals your cooling system to cycle.
When you put it in a low setting, the A/C will run longer than usual to attain that particular temperature. So if you want it to run in a reasonable time, adjust it appropriately to the indoor temperature.
Applying The Factors
How long should an air conditioner run? The right amount of time for an air conditioner run is just about 15 to 20 minutes. To maintain it, you must consider other factors such as the outdoor temperature, area of your room, size of your A/C unit, and the thermostat settings. When short cycles and long cycles occur on your cooling system.
You may need to repair it because these cycles constantly affect the condition of your A/C unit and the humidity inside your home. Lastly, remember to choose a suitable air conditioning unit to experience the best cool temperature inside your room. For more articles about air conditioner, click here on how long does it take an air conditioner to cool a room. Thanks for reading!