Have you recently noticed that your air conditioning never seems to take a break? Is it normal for it to run constantly?
It may be normal for your air conditioner to run all the time during hot summer days, especially in areas where it gets scorching hot. However, what if you have noticed recently that your air conditioning unit never seems to catch a break; it just runs all the time. Is it really normal for it to do so?
If by “running all the time” you mean it spends a lot of time cooling the air, but with some breaks, it may be normal, depending on how hot it is outside that day. If you literally mean that your AC unit is on all the time, around the clock, then it may not be normal and you may need to investigate further.
Cooling Efficiency
When you use an air conditioning unit that is properly sized for the space you are cooling down, it will run for long periods of time, ensuring that the temperature remains constant and that it is kept at the level you desire all the time. That means that it will turn on and off by itself, regulating the temperature along the way.
Why the Size of Your Air Conditioner is Important
If a unit cools down a room too quickly, it might be just too big for that space. An oversized air con unit will not only increase your electricity bill, but it will not be very efficient at keeping a constant temperature and humidity in the room. You would need to constantly turn it on and off because it makes you feel either too cold or too warm all the time.
That said, it is normal for a properly sized air conditioning unit to have longer running periods when it is warm outside. The warmer it is outside, the longer it will stay on, working to keep the temperature constant and cool.
When a unit is too small for the space it is mounted in, it will run constantly, trying to reach the thermostat temperature. There is only one solution to this problem, and it is replacing the whole unit with a bigger one. One simple way of figuring out if the unit is too small is by looking at the temperature: the indoor temperature won’t match the one you set on the thermostat. Get a simple room thermometer which helps you check the real temperature in your house.
Other Possible Issues That Can Cause Your AC to Run Constantly
If you are sure that your air conditioning unit is properly sized for your space, but you started noticing changes in its performance lately, there may be other issues to investigate. For example, you could be dealing with: blocked air ducts, refrigerant leak, dirty filters, etc.