Do you have an old air conditioner in your house that doesn’t seem to be working as well as it used to? Maybe you’ve noticed that there are some seasons when it’s just too hot in your home, but other times it feels quite chilly. If so, then there is a chance that your AC isn’t properly cleaning the air inside your home. You see, an AC should only be used for about two weeks at a time. For example, if you cut your air conditioning’s power cycle frequency below every three weeks for more than two months in a row, this could indicate that the unit is no longer able to clean the polluted air inside your house effectively. Cutting the power cycle frequency of your AC regularly can seriously decrease its ability to remove pollutants from the indoor air and even lead to malfunctioning or serious problems with it over time. In particular, short cycling can cause serious damage to any piece of equipment that runs on compressors or engines like an air conditioner (AC). This blog article will explain why and how short-cycling affects an AC’s performance and the potential dangers of doing so…
What is Short-Cycling?
Short-cycling an air conditioner is when you reduce the frequency of its power cycle from, for example, every three weeks to every two weeks. When you do this, you’re removing the AC from the normal frequency at which it’s cleaned the air. You see, an air conditioner is able to clean the air inside your home by removing toxins (such as dust and pollen) and other impurities that are found in it. When you regularly short-cycle your AC, you are significantly reducing its ability to perform this function. Even worse, this practice can cause damage to your AC and lead to breakdowns, leaks, and other serious problems over time. Most air conditioners were designed to be used for a maximum of two weeks at a time. When you keep using your AC for longer stretches of time, you are short-cycling it.
Why is Short-Cycling Dangerous?
When you short-cycle an air conditioner, you are significantly reducing its ability to clean the air inside your home, which can lead to an increased risk of allergies and asthma. Not only that, but short-cycling an air conditioner also has the potential to cause damage to it over time. This is because short-cycling an AC severely shortens its lifespan, especially if the unit is older. If allowed to run continuously, an air conditioner that’s been short-cycled for more than a few weeks can get jammed up and start to fail. This can lead to breakdowns, leaks, and other serious problems, so it’s important to avoid doing this as much as possible.
Why Should You Avoid Short-Cycling Your AC?
Modern air conditioners were not built to run on compressors or engines for very long periods of time. Modern technology was not advanced enough to design an air conditioner that would last for long periods of time without needing frequent maintenance and repair. However, these conditioners were designed for a maximum of two weeks at a time. When you keep using your AC for longer stretches of time, you are short-cycling it. This can significantly reduce its lifespan and cause damage to it over time. It’s important to note that short-cycling an AC can have serious consequences. There are many reasons why you should avoid short-cycling your unit, including the potential damage to your unit’s compressor or engine, reduced lifespan, and damage to your home.
What to Look for in a Good Air Conditioner
When you’re shopping for an air conditioner, make sure that it has a power cycle frequency of at least once every two weeks. This frequency should ideally be greater than once a week. When you look for an air conditioner, keep in mind that there are many things to consider besides just horsepower, as well as energy efficiency, installation ease, and cost. – Power Cycle Frequency: The frequency of your air conditioner’s power cycle is important. The lower this number, the more often it’s going to use up energy and cause damage to your air conditioner and the more often it will need to be serviced by a technician. The longer your air conditioner is used, the more often it will use up energy. Therefore, you want to make sure that it has a power cycle frequency of at least once every two weeks. – Energy Efficiency: Modern air conditioners are incredibly efficient and they have been able to decrease the amount of energy used to keep us cool by up to 80% since they were first introduced. It’s important to make sure that your new air conditioner has an energy efficiency of at least SEER 8.0 or better. – Installation Ease: An air conditioner’s installation should be easy and straightforward. You don’t want to have to wrestle with it or have it difficult to install. Make sure that it has an easy-to-follow installation guide and clear instructions for installation. – Cost: The cost of an air conditioner is a major factor to consider when shopping for one. You don’t want to go with a unit that’s extremely expensive and will end up costing you a lot of money in the long run. Make sure that you’re looking at air conditioners that have a reasonable cost.
How to Tell if an Air Conditioner Is Being Shorted-Cycled
If your air conditioner has been short-cycled, you will notice that it has a lot of dust inside. This is because the air conditioner isn’t able to clean it out very well since it isn’t running frequently enough. This also means that in order to get rid of this dust, you will have to clean the air conditioner yourself and this isn’t something that everyone wants to do. If you notice that your air conditioner has been short-cycled, you should immediately service it. Doing so can help to prevent damage to the compressor or engine in your unit and help to prolong its lifespan. You can also have your air conditioner diagnosed by a technician. This will allow them to correctly identify the amount of short cycling that has occurred, which may help to prevent damage to your air conditioner.
Conclusion
If you don’t properly clean your air conditioner’s air filter and power cycle frequency, then it won’t be able to remove pollutants from the air and you will be exposed to dangers like allergies and asthma, as well as damage to your air conditioner and home. This is why it’s important to keep short-cycling your air conditioner as short cycling is dangerous and reduces the lifespan of your air conditioner and increases the amount of maintenance that you will need to do. If you want your air conditioner to last a long time and keep your home cool and comfortable, then you will need to avoid short cycling it.