Does it cost more turning your ac unit off and on rather than leaving it running.Is this true?

Question

Air conditioning tips,keeping cool for less

Answer 1

It will need to run longer to cool the area if it has been turned off and the room is a higher temp. It is better to turn it to a higher setting and let it run occasionally than to turn it completely off.

Answer 2

Maintaining a certain temp will require your unit to run when needed. True if it is already cooler it will not have to run as long . Why not take 2 days of same temp and humidity levels and see how often it will kick on and for how long. On the second day leave it off for the same amount of time and then back on and see how long it will run compared to the previous day. My guess is that it will be less. Some people only consider that it cost less to to keep a cool room cooler But fail to under stand that it only takes a short time to re cool the room. So why cool a whole house for 8-10 hours while you are at work probably cycling your ac every hour or so 10 -15 mins because it will not take 80-150 mins to re cool it .

Answer 3

Yes that is true.

Install a programmable thermostat so you can vary the temperature according to when you're home. Set it to 78 degrees when you're home. If you'll be gone for more than a few hours, it makes sense to set the air conditioning at 85 degrees while you're gone.

Make sure your air conditioning condenser is located in a shady spot and has room to dispose of the heated air it removes from your house. Don't crowd it with shrubs or anything else.

Plant shade trees and shrubs around your house to help reduce the heat of the sun, especially on the west and south sides. This can reduce your cooling costs by up to 30%.

Close drapes on the sunny side of your house.

Install awnings on the windows on the sunny side of your house.

Sealing up air leaks in your house will reduce your air conditioning costs as well as heating costs. Caulk or seal places where utilities come into your home (plumbing, electricity, dryer vents, etc.). Fill gaps around chimneys. Weatherstrip around drafty windows and doors.

Install energy efficient ceiling fans and run them on hot days. If it's just a little too warm for comfort, use the ceiling fan without air conditioning. If it's hot enough to require air conditioning, using the ceiling fans at the same time allows you to raise the temperature setting by five degrees, which will reduce your costs. Use the ceiling fan only when you're in the room, because running the fan doesn't actually lower the temperature. The moving air increases the amount of evaporation from your skin and helps cool you off.

The darker the color of your house, the more heat it will absorb, so if you're building, buying, or considering repainting, choose lighter colors for the exterior.

Thirty percent of the heat in your house is absorbed through the roof. Make sure your attic is properly ventilated. Vents in the eaves allows cooler air to enter. A ridge vent or an attic fan can significantly reduce your cooling costs.

Consider putting reflective window tint on your windows to reduce the amount of heat absorbed.

Any heat that's generated inside your home has to be removed by your cooling system, so avoid generating heat inside your home whenever possible. Cook on your outdoor grill as often as possible, or use a crockpot and the microwave oven. Use the 'air dry' setting on your dishwasher.

Close off rooms that you aren't using and the cooling ducts to those rooms.

Make sure the cooled air coming from your air conditioning vents is not obstructed by furniture or draperies.

Turn off lights when not in use. Lights produce heat, which makes your air conditioning system work harder (and cost more).

Your computer and other home office equipment also generate heat. Turn them off when not in use.

Answer 4

In my opinion, it is better to keep the AC on but adjust the temperature. Once the humidity is reduced, opening the windows will make the system re-do the effort. Try setting the temp up and using fans to move the air.

Answer 5

It is better to leave it on and it will actually cost you less to cool your home. If you turn it off when you go to work, your house gets HOT all day in the sun. If you turn your a/c when you get home, it run constantly for hours trying to get your home down to temperature you have set on the thermostat. If you set a higher temperature, but leave it on, when you leave in the morning, you can lower the temp when you get home and it will not have to run THAT long to reach set temperature. Good luck

Answer 6

I think it will only cost more if you turn it off then allow the temperature to rise above your desired temp, which then you would have to turn the a/c back on and it would be running for awhile until it reaches the temp you set it for.
If you are turning it off because your outside temp has dropped way down then it shouldn't cost more as long as you turn it back on before it got above whatever you set your temp at.
Make sense?

Answer 7

It cost less to keep a house or room at a steady temp than it does to cool it after it has heated up

Answer 8

Yes, you have to re-cool all the walls, floors, furniture, etc.
Just raise the temperature 5 degrees if you are going to be gone 8 or more hours.

Answer 9

if you are going to be gone over 4hrs i would shut it off,usually i recommend my get a programmable to set the t-stat to be off while I'm at.my unit shuts down at 6:30am and comes back on at 5:30pm. We leave at 7:00am and return at 6:00pm.the house is when we walk in.electric bill very low.as for the setting. you set t-stat at the temperature you are comfortable with.it's different for everybody.we call it your comfort zone.anything lees 4hrs don't adjust t-stat