It’s surprising how fast a home can become hot when the AC is off.
You may wonder if it will be as quick to make the home cool again.
Here’s what you need to know about how long it will take to cool a house from 80 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
How Long Should It Take To Cool A House From 80 to 72?
A standard air conditioner will take two and a half to three hours to cool a house from 80 to 72 degrees.
A few factors like home size, maintenance, and the outdoor temperature can influence how fast or slow the home cools.
The efficiency of the unit also plays a factor in the time to cool down the home.
A more powerful unit will cool down a home faster than a smaller one.
Why Does It Take Three Hours To Cool A Home From 80 To 72?
There are several factors that influence how long it takes the air conditioner to cool the home.
Here are some of those factors.
1. Outdoor Temperature
If it’s hot outside, then it’s going to take your AC more time to cool down the house.
It needs to cool down the air it takes from outside to the temperature you desire.
The hotter the temperature starts at, the more it needs to cool.
That takes time.
2. Air Conditioner Efficiency
Some AC units are more efficient than others.
They use more powerful machinery to cool air down faster.
You’ll want to choose an efficient AC when doing your shopping.
Keeping up with its maintenance can prolong and enhance its efficiency.
3. Square Footage Of Your Home
The size of your home plays an important role in the speed of cooling it down.
The larger your home is, the longer it will take to cool it down.
It will also take longer if you have several levels.
Because hot air rises, it will take longer for the upper floors to feel cool.
Tips To Cool Your Home Down Faster
If you can’t wait three hours to cool down the house, then there are a few steps you can take to make it cool faster.
Follow some of these steps to cool down your house.
1. Keep AC Running
Some people turn their AC off before they go to work.
The thinking is that it saves energy.
According to this study, it isn’t always the case.
Turning the air conditioner on and off a lot can raise your bill.
It also makes the air conditioner wear out faster since it needs to work harder to cool the home.
It’s a better idea to leave the air conditioner running to keep it at the right temperature all day.
2. Perform Regular Maintenance
One reason your air conditioner may have a difficult time cooling the house is that it’s worn.
Regular maintenance can keep it running efficiently.
A professional can replace worn parts that are keeping the AC from running right.
Once it’s maintained, the AC will work better and cool the home faster.
3. Check The Air Filter Type
It’s possible that you may have the wrong air filter in your AC.
There are several different filter types.
The most effective is HEPA.
The Energy Department coined this term for any filter that can trap 99% of particulates.
HEPA filters consist of several layers.
Together, they’re able to trap particulates down to 0.3 microns in size.
The problem with using them in air conditioners is that not all air conditioners aren’t made for them.
Some ACs can handle HEPA filters, but the majority can’t.
HEPA filters are thick.
It makes passing air through them difficult.
An AC needs more power to draw more air through the filter at a fast pace.
You can help your home cool down faster by checking your filter.
If you’re using a HEPA filter, then you may want to switch it. Consult your owner’s manual for the recommended filter for your AC unit.
4. Clean The Ducts
The state of your ducts can also impact how fast your home cools down.
Leaky ducts allow cool air to escape them before it enters the rooms of your home.
Dirty ducts are also a problem.
If they’re clogged with dust, then it can impede cool air from reaching the room.
It remains trapped inside of the duct instead.
You can have a professional duct cleaner remove the dirt and dust clogging your ducts.
You can also have them checked for leaks.
5. Block Out The Sun
The sun also heats up your home over time.
The infrared rays from the sun excite the molecules that make up the air.
They vibrate and generate heat.
The excess heat coming from the sun can make it difficult for the AC to keep the room cool.
The best way to keep the sun from heating up a room is to block it.
You can do this by installing window treatments on your windows.
Drapes, blinds, and curtains are all effective methods of blocking the sun’s rays.
During the summer, choose dark and thick window treatments.
You want as little sunlight as possible coming through the windows.
During the winter, you can switch them for lighter and sheer window treatments.
Another way to keep the sun from heating a room is to use plants.
Green plants will absorb the heat.
Finally, consider switching out the flooring.
Carpet traps heat easier than hardwood flooring.
In the winter, you can always place rugs down on the hard flooring.
6. Limit Oven And Stove Use
You’re not doing your air conditioner any favors when you run the oven or stove during hot days.
The heat from these appliances adds to the heat of the room.
You’re forcing your AC to run even harder to remove the excess heat.
Consider ordering food or preparing non-heated meals during extremely hot days.
Even lowering the temperature a few degrees can have a significant impact on the AC.
7. Check AC’s BTU Rating
Certain air conditioners cool certain sizes of homes.
It has to do with their BTU rating.
BTU refers to the amount of energy it takes to change the temperature of a molecule.
It’s important to know the BTU rating of your air conditioner to determine if it’s powerful enough for your home.
If it isn’t, then your AC will never be able to use enough energy to cool your home.
A rule of thumb for determining BTU is to consider 20 BTU for every square foot of a room.
Most ACs can cover houses that need 5,000 BTU to 12,500 BTU.
There are a few other factors that can influence your BTU rating, too.
Kitchens need more cooling than other rooms. It’s standard practice to add 4,000 BTU to your total calculation to account for the kitchen.
You can also decrease BTU by 10% for any rooms that are usually shaded.
A quick guide for choosing an AC based square footage of a room and BTU follows:
- 200–300 square feet ~ 5,000–6,000 BTU
- 250–400 square feet ~ 7,000–8,500 BTU
- 350–600 square feet ~ 9,800–12,500 BTU
If the room falls within the acceptable BTU range for your AC, then you don’t need a new or additional one.
If it doesn’t, then you should consider upgrading your air conditioner unit or adding another to your home.
8. Inspect AC For Refrigerant Leaks
Another problem that may be influencing how fast your home cools is a refrigerant leak.
Air conditioners use a refrigerant to cool hot temperatures.
If the refrigerant is leaking, then it’s unable to cool the hot temperature.
There are a few signs that your refrigerant is leaking.
Some of them include the following:
- Takes longer to cool a home
- Excess humidity indoors
- Hissing or bubbling sounds
- Ice block on the refrigerant line
- Higher utility bills
Fixing a refrigerant leak can make your home cool a lot faster.
How Does An AC Cool A House Down From 80 To 72?
An air conditioner uses a few different processes to remove hot air from a room and cool it.
The first process is pushing the air through an evaporator.
The unit sucks in hot air and uses refrigerant to absorb the heat.
It then evaporates the heat as a gas.
The condenser takes the evaporated gas and pushes it outside.
It then cools the air that lingers inside of it and pushes it back into the home.
If any of the parts involved with the process fails, then it can keep your home from cooling.
To cool the home down to 72 degrees exactly, the AC relies on information from the thermostat.
The thermostat in your home takes a measure of the heat of the air.
When the temperature rises past the desired temperature, this device tells the AC unit to operate.
The AC runs until the thermostat senses that the temperature is back at the desired range.
Then it tells the AC to shut off.
Are Certain Types Of Air Conditioners More Efficient Than Others?
There are a few different types of air conditioners.
Some are more efficient than others to cool down a house.
It’s important to know how to use certain types of air conditioners to get the most out of them.
The main types of air conditioners include the following:
- Central air conditioner
- Window air conditioner
- Portable air conditioner
Here’s how they differ from each other and how each one can cool your home efficiently.
1. Central Air Conditioner
Central air is a type of air conditioner that runs throughout your home.
It’s the traditional type of AC that most people think of when they think about air conditioning.
Central AC is powerful.
Although you still need to buy the right size for your home, they’re effective at cooling homes.
They’re able to pass cool air throughout the home.
This cools several rooms at the same time.
It can make cooling down a house from 80 to 72 fast and efficient.
Central AC units need maintenance at least twice a year.
Replace filters at least twice a year, too.
2. Window Air Conditioner
If only one room concerns you, then a window air conditioner is the most efficient choice for you.
They’re designed to rapidly remove hot air from a single room and cool it.
Some window air conditioners can cool large rooms while others can only cool small rooms.
Keep in mind the BTU rating of your room to find the right one.
Window air conditioners are ideal for homeowners who only want AC in a single room or a few rooms.
3. Portable Air Conditioners
The least efficient air conditioner on the list is a portable air conditioner.
These are the smallest appliances.
They’re designed to keep a specific area cool.
They’re often situated next to a chair or bed.
This type of unit is ideal for homeowners who want a small space to be cool.
Portable air conditioners will never cool a house from 80 to 72 degrees.
However, they can cool a small area that much.
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