Can An Air Conditioner Work When It’s Too Hot Outside?

To avoid heatwaves, homeowners depend heavily on their air conditioners in the summer. On exceptionally hot days, though, you might realize that your air conditioner doesn’t always function as well.

Your air conditioner will have to work harder to cool off your space once the outside temperature reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Its lifespan might be shortened as a result of this. As a result, the air conditioner may not function properly when it is too hot.

Maintaining your air conditioner can ensure that it functions well for you when you need it most. You must be careful not to use your air conditioner excessively to the point where it fails.

Hot Temperatures’ Impact On Air Conditioners

Finding a hotel with air conditioning is only one of the numerous things people try to cool themselves when the weather becomes utterly intolerable owing to high temperatures. On hot days, people rely on air conditioners in particular to escape the heat. However, using the air conditioner while the outside temperature is close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit makes it work harder to chill the space.

In order to try and make the room cooler, folks would typically turn the air conditioner up high and lower the temperature. What they don’t know is that not only does it not make the room colder in a faster fashion, but it also strains the appliance unnecessarily. Here are just a few potential issues with your air conditioner:

• Air filters will clog up more quickly.
• There’s a greater possibility that debris will get inside your air conditioner’s external unit.
• Your electricity expenses will increase due to the amount of energy used.
• Overusing the air conditioner or consuming too much electricity can eventually cause it to malfunction.

Advice For Using Your Air Conditioner In The Summer

You may be considering ways to still use your air conditioner without putting it under unnecessary stress now that you are aware of how challenging it may be for it to function at its optimum during hot weather. While it may be tempting to simply turn on the air conditioner, you might want to avoid doing that and follow these easy recommendations instead.

Utilize The Proper Air Conditioner Size

A particular room size is catered for by the cooling capability of each air conditioner. This is why choosing the appropriate air conditioner for your space is crucial. It will be more difficult for an air conditioner to effectively chill a large space if it doesn’t contain the necessary BTUs. Additionally, you shouldn’t install an air conditioner that uses more BTUs in a tiny space because it will increase humidity in the space and cost you extra money.

When looking for an air conditioner, keep the measures of your space in mind in order to know what cooling capacity you need.

Keep The Doors And Windows Closed

By removing the hot air from the space, the air conditioner lowers the room’s temperature. From there, it exhales hot air outside while blowing cool air inside. However, if any of the doors or windows in your room are open, the hot air will just return there. By continuously attempting to chill air that has already been blown out of the room, your air conditioner will work harder than necessary.

Make sure your windows and doors are always closed to prevent this from happening. That doesn’t mean you can’t leave your room, but if you must, open a door or window as infrequently as you can to keep your room at a cool temperature.

Understand When To Turn On Or Off Your Air Conditioning

People typically switch on their air conditioners when they are nearby, but some may decide to leave it on after they leave their homes till they come back. They might believe that by leaving the air conditioner on, the room’s temperature would be maintained and they won’t have to use as much energy to raise it to their preferred level as they would if they turned it off.

You should give that some thought, though. The air conditioner will require a constant supply of electricity in addition to operating throughout the day. This implies your costs will be higher towards the end of the month if you let your air conditioner run while you’re gone. Instead, think about shutting off your air conditioner before a lengthy absence and turning it back on after you return.

Correctly Set The Temperature

It is advised to turn off your air conditioner when you plan to be gone for an extended period of time. To welcome you instead, you might have to open your home at the end of the day with heated air. Naturally, you might want to crank up the air conditioning and lower the thermostat in the hopes that the room would chill down as quickly as possible.

This won’t speed up the cooling down of your home. Instead of adjusting the air conditioner’s temperature for how frigid the air will be blasted into the room, do so for the desired temperature of the space. Until your room reaches the temperature you selected, your air conditioner will continue to provide the same volume and temperature of air.

Your air conditioner will work harder than it needs to if the temperature is set as low as it can go. Additionally, the temperature setting could not be to your taste after all, causing you to feel uncomfortable and excessively cold. Set the temperature normally and let the air conditioner do its thing instead of doing all that.

Use The Electric Fan

Given that you are using two appliances, having an electric fan run while your air conditioner is on may seem like a waste. Cold air spreads more slowly than hot air because it is denser and heavier. It will take some time before the cool air spreads over the entire room if your air conditioner is just blowing in one direction.

Here’s where your fan can help, as it can spread cool air where your air conditioner can’t immediately reach. By using your electric fan, you may actually speed up the cooling process of your air conditioner and prevent it from working too hard for too long.

Perform Routine Maintenance

People rely on their air conditioners to stay cool on hot days, yet they also frequently ignore them. You skipping getting maintenance done on it may be one of the causes of your air conditioner struggling during hot days. This also entails monthly filter cleaning.

The filters will eventually become clogged with dirt and other forms of material if you don’t clean them. Your air conditioner might work harder as a result, and your electricity bill might even go up. We offer a guide on how to clean the filters in your central air conditioner if you have one at home. To ensure that your air conditioner remains in good condition, you can also hire a professional to perform maintenance on it once a year.

Wrapping Up

The operation of your air conditioner might be impacted by temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. It not only makes your device work harder, but it also increases the likelihood that it may break down in the future. This is why it’s crucial to keep your air conditioner in good condition and avoid overloading it.