Around 64.8% of Americans own a home, but this means that many people need to deal with temperature issues inside their homes. There are a lot of factors to consider when you want to make your home more comfortable. Seasonal changes, energy prices, fulfilling the needs of all family members, and many other factors can make indoor temperature control a complex topic. Achieving the optimal temperature that suits everyone is hard, but this article should help you to get the best out of your AC system.
Understanding Air Conditioning
Many homeowners believe that their AC system makes their home cool, but this is not the case. The cooling of the indoor temperature is a byproduct of the air conditioner which is designed to remove the heat and move it outdoors. This may seem like a trivial distinction, but understanding this concept is essential if you want to learn how an AC system works.
Every basic AC system has five key components that make it run efficiently, they are a filter, a fan, a warm condenser coil, a cool evaporator coil, and a chemical refrigerant that’s kept under pressure. The filter and evaporator coil are located inside your home and the other components are kept in an outdoor unit. The chemical refrigerant circulates from one to the other to collect the heat and carry it to the outdoor unit for release. The hot and cold parts of the AC system must be running together smoothly or the cooling cannot take place.
Different AC System Scales
There are many types of AC systems, but we will focus on the system shown above which is the most commonly used type for most homeowners. The AC system is pretty easy to use, simply set the desired temperature at the thermostat and the system does the rest. Generally speaking, there are two different scales of AC system, they are: residential and commercial.
The residential AC system is the one you see in homes and you may notice the outdoor units on an exterior wall. This type of system works quickly and more consistently than a larger commercial unit. A commercial AC system is needed to cool a larger building, such as offices, strip malls, stores, and more. The outdoor units are larger by necessity and they may be located on the roof to maximize indoor space. A commercial AC system can be harder to operate because various parts of the building may have different temperature requirements throughout the day.
What is the Optimal Indoor Temperature
OK, you now know how an AC system works, it’s time to consider how you can get the optimal performance out of the unit without breaking the bank. Finding an ideal temperature that suits everyone can be hard because body temperatures can vary between the sexes.
The American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers has stated that the optimal indoor temperature is 76º in summer and 72º in winter. This may seem odd, after all, you would expect the temperature to reflect the need for more warmth when it’s cold outdoors. The fact is that extreme temperatures are actually harmful to us, and this is why the optimal temperature setting in winter is lower than the summer setting.
To further complicate the situation, it’s important to understand that our temperature requirements may change throughout the course of the day. A prime example would be sleeping because we tend to be under covers during the winter and we sleep better in cooler temperatures. Experts advise a low temperature of 67º during the night, which is 10º lower than the recommended daytime winter temperature setting! Of course, these numbers are a guideline, they may not suit your needs and you may need to optimize them further to accommodate your lifestyle.
Adapting the Temperature to Meet Your Needs
In practice, achieving a comfortable temperature for every family will be a little different. People with a lower muscle mass tend to feel colder and others may feel hot and sweaty when the thermostat is set at a low temperature. If you’re working at home due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it may interest you to know that productivity rises if we are colder. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you will prefer a warmer temperature and more active people tend to prefer a cooler environment. Another consideration is that larger variances to outdoor temperatures are more expensive to maintain and extra strain is placed on the AC system. As you can see, accommodating the needs of every occupant may be tricky and some compromises are inevitable in most homes.
The Cleanliness of Your AC System
When an AC system is dirty and poorly maintained, it will not perform efficiently. This can have a dramatic effect on the temperature settings you choose, and the energy bills. The AC system is complex, it has electrical, mechanical, and electronic parts and a steady supply of air is essential for normal operation. If the refrigerant levels drop or an air filter is clogged, it can lead to a lack of ventilation that will affect your indoor comfort levels.
If you notice that you must lower the temperature further than the guidelines stated earlier, it may be due to a lack of ventilation. As an example, let’s say that the optimal temperature is 70º for your family and you need to set the thermostat to 65º to feel comfortable, it’s a good sign that your AC system needs some cleaning and maintenance. One of the worst things about this situation is that your energy bills will be higher and you are only getting poor performance in return.
Basic AC System Cleaning
You can boost the performance a little with regular filter changes and basic cleaning. The air filters should be cleaned or changed every month or more often if you have pets. If the filter looks dirty, clean it earlier to ensure that the airflow is maintained throughout your AC system. The drain line can be cleaned with a small bottle brush and any debris or garden furniture should be moved away from the outdoor unit. These measures will help, but they cannot replace an inspection and essential maintenance from your local HVAC specialist. A checkup should be scheduled prior to each heating and cooling season to ensure that your HVAC system is ready for the colder and warmer weather ahead.