{"id":1980,"date":"2023-11-06T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/?p=1980"},"modified":"2025-09-22T09:30:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T13:30:15","slug":"how-reducing-your-thermostat-temperature-can-result-in-fewer-ac-repairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/how-reducing-your-thermostat-temperature-can-result-in-fewer-ac-repairs\/","title":{"rendered":"How Reducing Your Thermostat Temperature Can Result in Fewer AC Repairs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Thermostats_Temperature_iStock_000034118694_Full_696x600-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Thermostats_Temperature_iStock_000034118694_Full_696x600-3-300x259.jpg\" alt=\"a temperature gauge showing just the right temperature\" class=\"wp-image-1981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Thermostats_Temperature_iStock_000034118694_Full_696x600-3-300x259.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Thermostats_Temperature_iStock_000034118694_Full_696x600-3.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>When it\u2019s hot outside, it\u2019s natural to want to crank the AC down low. You want your home to feel comfortable as quickly as possible. Many people think that turning the AC way down is the best way to achieve that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, not only is setting the AC too low not going to achieve that, but it\u2019s also incredibly hard on your air conditioning system. Your AC isn\u2019t designed to make your home feel like an ice box\u2013it has its limitations. Let\u2019s go over how important it is to resist the urge to set the thermostat in the 60s. By increasing the temperature, you\u2019ll feel more comfortable and it\u2019ll also keep you from needing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/air-conditioning\/repair\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AC repair<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2>Your AC Has a Limit&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrary to popular belief, your AC has a mechanical limit on how much it can decrease the temperature in your home. This is called the temperature differential. For residential air conditioning systems, it\u2019s 20\u00b0F. That means that the most that an AC can lower the temperature inside a home is a difference of 20\u00b0F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it\u2019s 90\u00b0F in your home, then your AC can only achieve a temperature of 70\u00b0F. It doesn\u2019t matter if you set the AC at 65\u00b0F. The system will not be able to get your home to that temperature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the thermostat is set to a temperature that\u2019s 20\u00b0F more than the inside temp, the AC will run continuously without cycling down as it tries to reach a temperature setting beyond its limits. This places immense strain on your system and can lead to a whole range of issues such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The system could overheat and shut down completely<\/li><li>Tripped circuit breaker<\/li><li>Burned-out motor<\/li><li>Damage to the compressor<\/li><li>Frozen evaporator coils<\/li><li>Increased wear and tear and a decreased system lifespan<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Raise the Temperature to Keep It Cool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We understand that when it\u2019s hot and humid outside, your first impulse is to crank the AC down. But raising the temperature is the best way to stay cool. Let\u2019s explain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given what we\u2019ve covered in this blog, you might be thinking that if it\u2019s 85\u00b0F out, you\u2019re justified in setting the thermostat to 65\u00b0F. However, the recommended energy-saving setting on the thermostat is 78\u00b0F.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This setting should be sufficient to keep your home comfortable on even the hottest days of the year, especially if your home is well-insulated. Even if the temperature reaches 100\u00b0F, your home\u2019s insulation will prevent some of that heat from getting in, giving the AC a head-start on cooling down the interior.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you think about how often you use your air conditioner here in Covington, you can help your AC last longer by raising the thermostat as high as you feel comfortable. You\u2019ll also help keep your house cooler. How does that work?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The closer the indoor temperature is to the outside, the slower heat from outside moves into the house. This is called heat gain. Insulation helps slow it down, but so does a higher temperature setting. Your house won\u2019t heat up as much and you\u2019ll also save energy and money compared to turning the thermostat down too low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/contact\/send-message\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">When you need it done right contact Professional Heating &amp; Air.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s go over how important it is to resist the urge to set the thermostat in the 60s. By increasing the temperature, it\u2019ll keep you from needing AC repair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[76],"tags":[39,108,6,62],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1980"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1980"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1984,"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1980\/revisions\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aprofessionalheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}