Is it Normal for My AC to Cycle Longer?

If you’re wondering whether it’s normal for your AC to cycle longer, the answer is that it depends on a few factors, like your unit’s cooling capacity, your room’s temperature, and its humidity. In most cases, your AC’s average cooling cycle is between 10 and 20 minutes, assuming that your room is not too hot or humid.

Let’s explore the details of an air conditioner’s optimal cycle time.

Optimal AC Cycle Time for Your HVAC System

Depending on your AC’s size and cooling capacity, it will have different cycle times. For example, if your AC has a power of 2 tons, it can easily remove at least 24,000 BTU of heat per hour, which means that your room will cool down much faster with a larger air conditioning unit, which runs for shorter cycles compared to smaller units. Most manufacturing companies ensure that ACs aren’t too large in size since that lowers the cycle times, making the cooling system less than optimal for long cycles. Similarly, if your AC is too small, it may not provide the level of cooling you need to remove heat from your room, which is why you must choose the optimal AC size to maintain the best cycle time for your room or living space.

If you set your thermostat to 16 degrees Celsius, your AC will have a longer cycle time since it is forced to run for a longer time to remove more heat from your living space and keep the temperature maintained at the set temperature. In addition, if your room is 30 degrees Celsius and your thermostat is set at 16, it will have a much longer cycle time because the compressor is working non-stop to ensure that the room stays at a cooler temperature. Furthermore, if your AC is working continuously for long cycles, it is using less power since the compressor does not need to activate to bring down the room’s temperature repeatedly. It may not be an air conditioning problem if your AC has longer cycle times, which may be due to your room accumulating too much heat from the external environment. However, if you’re worried that the cycle time may be too long, you can hire a professional to take a lot at your HVAC system and provide an expert opinion.

Factors Affecting Your AC’s Cycle Time

As we just discussed, your AC’s power consumption affects its cycle time since your cooling unit needs to work harder to maintain the room’s temperature. Air conditioners also work hard to remove humidity from your living space, which means that it will cycle longer if your room is quite humid due to the external environment. Smaller AC units are more efficient than larger units at removing humidity from a room, which means their cycle time is longer. Your AC is more efficient when it runs for longer cycle times since frequent short cycles can consume too much power and reduce the overall cooling efficiency.

Hire a Specialist

You may want to seek HVAC repair and maintenance services from Just Air Solutions, which has years of experience and specialize in fixing air conditioners at affordable rates.

Final Verdict

Air conditioners need to have longer cycles to run efficiently and remove heat from a room, making it normal for your AC to cycle longer. If you’re worried that your AC is malfunctioning in any way, you should seek the opinion of an HVAC contractor specialist who will examine your unit for any malfunctions or maintenance.