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Why the Temperature Differential Matters

The temperature differential is a simple but important thing to consider when running your air conditioner. It’s the difference between the outside temperature and the inside temperature, and it’s going to heavily impact how you set your home’s thermostat. If it’s hotter outside, you might feel like you need to set your thermostat lower in order for the actual temperature to be comfortable–but that’s not very accurate.

This blog post is going to be all about the temperature differential. We’ll talk about why it’s important, why people have misconceptions about it, and how you can be a better AC owner as a result. If you follow our advice and still run into issues with your AC not meeting temperature demands, then we urge you to call us for AC repairs in Venice, FL. Otherwise, keep reading to learn more about this important point!

Realistic Expectations

The temperature differential is an important part of running an air conditioner, particularly because it’s important for efficiency and effective cooling. The lower your thermostat is set in comparison to the high temperatures outside, the more likely you will encounter a stressed-out system, high energy bills, and no real difference in your home comfort.

Here’s a good tip: try to have realistic expectations when trying to cool your home on a hot day. Just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean it needs to be cooler than the mid-70s inside of your home. As long as your home is more comfortable and meets your comfort preferences, it should be fine even if you would like it to be colder than it is.

Your thermostat should never be set any lower than 20 degrees below the outside temperature. This is, realistically, the lowest the temperature can get in your home at an efficient energy consumption rate. Anything lower than this and you’ll run into some problems.

The Effects of an Incorrect Thermostat Setting

If you set your thermostat too low, you could have a problem with your air conditioner, or at least encounter some hiccups. Here are just three issues that come from ignoring the temperature differential outside.

  • High energy bills. If your air conditioner is trying to cool your home down to the low 60s on an almost 100-degree day, it’s likely going to run every minute that it can. This will lead to a much higher energy bill because your system is trying to reach a temperature that’s almost impossible for a system like this.
  • No real comfort difference. Even if you keep setting your thermostat lower and lower, you won’t really feel much of a difference. Air conditioners are not refrigerators or freezers, they just can’t cool an entire home to that temperature setting if it’s trying to go lower than 20 degrees below the outside temperature.
  • A stressed-out system. Lastly, an air conditioner that’s trying to meet unrealistic temperatures will stress out certain components and run into more problems. This can result in a repair need when you least expect it.

Need help running your AC properly? Call Jim McDonald & Sons Heating & Cooling Inc. Cooling Sarasota and Manatee Counties since 1970.

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