How many times have you taken your AC for granted? Living in Florida, having a cool home is not a luxury, but a necessity. And when you have it running around the clock, it’s sometimes easy to forget how much of an impact it has on our quality of life.
But turn it off for a few hours (or days, if you’re going out of town), and notice the common denominator of living in the Sunshine state: No AC means living in an oven. So off you go to turn it on. Your spouse is cranky. Your kids are being obnoxious. You know the heat is the culprit for their sour mood.
So how long should it take for the AC to cool down your home?
How Long Does It Take an AC to Cool a House?
There are several factors that will affect how long it will take for your house to cool down. Here are some of the most common ones:
1. The age and model of your unit. If you installed your AC system when Milli Vanilli was on Billboard’s top 10 hits, it’s time to get a new air conditioner installed. Not only because a newer AC would cool your home faster, but because relatively recent environmental regulations require different refrigerant and air conditioning designs that are better for the environment and cool your home more efficiently.
2. How often you change the air filters. Air filters get covered in dust and debris. If you don’t change them regularly, the caked dirt will block airflow. This, in turn, will cause your AC unit to work harder (and drive up your energy bill) without really cooling down your home. How often you need to change your air filters depends on how many people live in your home, whether you have any pets, whether you have any allergies, and which type of air filters you have in your home. Check them once a month. If they look dirty, change them.
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3. The time of the year. The hotter it is outside, the longer it will take for your home to cool down. You can try to speed things along by closing blinds, drapes, and curtains.
4. The insulation in your home. Insulation in a home slows down the transfer of heat when it’s scorching hot outside. The same happens with cold weather during the winter months. If your home is not properly insulated, your AC will work harder, to no avail. Inadequate insulation tends to be a problem in older homes. So if it takes forever for your AC to cool down your home, you may need better insulation.
5. The size of your home. The smaller the home, the faster it’ll cool down. For an average sized three to four bedroom house, it should take approximately 3 hours. If it’s been longer than that and your home is nowhere near the temperature you set on the thermostat, you may have other issues to deal with, such as dirty coils, issues with the condenser unit, or a refrigerant leak.
Air Conditioning Repair in West Palm Beach & South Florida
If your air conditioning system is running without cooling, contact the West Palm Beach air conditioning contractors at Sansone. We provide AC services in Broward, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie.
Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment online.
Broward: (954) 800-2858
Palm Beach: (561) 701-8274
St. Lucie: (772) 879-5656