A short podcast transcript in which a speaker explains why an HVAC unit often runs continuously during hot weather. Key points: HVAC systems are more efficient running steadily than short-cycling, startup amps are higher than running amps, continuous runtime aids temperature maintenance and dehumidification, and multi-speed/two-stage systems may run longer at lower speeds to improve moisture removal.
Chapters
Hey, Derek. My unit is running all the time. Is this normal in this hot weather for the unit to run all the time? Well, yes. Yeah. It is most efficient when it is running, not when it's coming on, coming off, coming on, coming off, coming on, coming off. I can relate this to your car and traffic. And obviously it's, you know, this is better on gas. If you go from point A all the way to point B, and that's where you're going. You're interstate. You're not stopping good traffic. It's a lot better than going from stop to stop. Stop sign, stop light, stop, stop, stop, go, go, go. Stop, go, stop, go. That's what you don't want for your car, and that's what you don't want for your equipment at home. You want to run efficiently, not cycling on and off, on, off. The most power the system pulls is when it turns on. So just like your car, the most energy it pulls is, you know, cranking up in the morning. That's why on, like, really cold mornings, your battery might die or it might have trouble, because that's the most energy is pulling at that one point. Your H Vac system is the same way. The most energy is pulling is at the start, it's not at the run. If you look on your H Vac equipment, you'll see a sticker. It's got starting amps, running amps. Starting amps is always higher than the running app. So your unit running to keep you satisfied and keep you comfortable in the home is not a problem. The lady come see me. We installed a newer system in our home, and she was worried about the unit running too much. She said, the unit's constantly running. I said, what do you have to sit on? It's pretty hot out. She said, like, you know, 75. I said, was it 75 in the house? Yes, it is, but the unit's still running. I said, well, it's kind of like you got in the car, you drove to the office, right? It's hot. It's 97 degrees outside. So how many times did you turn the air conditioner on in your car? Yes. How many times did you turn off? She said, I didn't turn off. I said, why didn't you turn off? It would have gotten hot in the car. I said, your home is the same way. When you have a properly sized system, it wants to maintain temperature. Don't want to get behind, catch up, get behind, catch up, get behind, catch up. That's not going to be. It's not going to leave you comfortable. It's not going to be efficient for the unit. It wants to maintain that temperature. So when the system runs a lot this time of year, when it's warm, it's normal, it's fine as long as it's getting to temperature, maintaining that temperature, you're good to go. But the system running constantly, it's actually a good thing and not a bad thing because the more runs, the more is dehumidifying, the slowing down that fan, getting that air across, that coal, having to sit there longer then bringing into the house. It's kind of like if you go on a long drive this, you know, hot weather outside. Of course you get in the car, it's hot, got the AC blasting, right? Well, 30 minutes, 40 minutes into the trip, you're probably good to go. So you turn the fan down, what happens? It actually gets colder. And you like me, turn the temperature up because I'm actually getting colder. As the, as the fan slows down. Your system is same way if it's a multi speed or two stage system, it wants to slow down, it wants to, you know, run and then leave that air over the coil a long time, as long as possible to extract that heat out to better dehumidify before it sends it back in the home. So unit running all the time or constantly, it's normal.
