running an A/C at low temperatures?

Question

If the operating manual specifies a minimum ambient temperature of 70 degrees, what will happen if I run it when it is 65? Suppose I want to cool the room down to 60

Answer 1

Consider the area you are wishing to cool and the heat capacity of the air conditioner. If you exceed the capacity of the air conditioner, then it will constantly run trying to accomplish it's goal of cooling. Either choose a smaller room/area for cooling or a higher thermostat setting.
There is also a problem with the outside air temperature. The colder it is outside, the less efficiently the air conditioner will work up to it's heat capacity. When it gets cold enough outside, the compressor won't work at all. Refrigerators won't work if the room it's in is too cold.

Answer 2

What the operating manual is telling you is correct. The minimum ambient temp refers to the outdoor temperature, not how cool you have the A/C set to.

So what they are saying is your A/C wont run properly if its below 70 degrees outside. It has to do with the evaporation rate of the freon in the system. It just works much more efficiently if it is hotter than 70 degrees outside. The air conditioner has to work too hard to cool below 70 if it isn't a warm day outside.

Answer 3

I,m thinking that if the ambient air temp is too low, that you will
freeze up the evaporater coil, and turn it into a block of ice on the air side of the evaporater coil.

The same thing will happen if the ambient air temp is high, and if condenser coil happens to be plugged up from debris and doesn't get enough air circulating thru it. The evaporater coil will then freeze up on the air side of the coil.

Answer 4

Just means you'll be wasting energy trying to cool the room down to 60.

Answer 5

Well most of the time if the outdooor temp is below 65'F the compressor will not run, and just the fan motor. So you will stil get cool air, but not with the compressor.