In summers, the sun just unleashes its extreme heating powers on us. It becomes too much difficult to stand a minute outside in the sun. Amid the heatwave and summers, AC is a lifesaver. It provides us a cool & peaceful environment where we can chill out & relax.
As you know, the summers are knocking on our doorstep, and everyone will be using their air conditioners all the time and expecting it to cool down the room as soon as possible. A lot of people ask us how long it should take for the AC to cool 2 degrees. So how long it’s going to take? Let’s find it out in this article.
We will be discussing everything you need to know about how air conditioners cool down your home and the factors affecting its cooling.
How do the air conditioners work?
First of all, you need to understand how the cooling mechanism of an air conditioner works. Only then you’ll be able to understand the answer to other questions. We have made it very easy & simple to understand for you.
Your air conditioner has a compressor inside. Whenever you set a specific temperature on the thermostat, the air conditioner turns on the compressor and cools the room. When the room temperature drops down and matches the temperature set on the thermostat, the air conditioner turns off the compressor.
Now when the room temperature starts rising again, the air conditioner again turns on the compressor to start cooling and bring the temperature of the room back to the temperature set on the thermostat.
How long the AC takes to cool 2 degrees?
Generally, a perfectly working air conditioner can take up to 3-4 hours to cool a moderate & medium-sized home of four bedrooms by 10 degrees.
For 2 degrees, an AC can take up to 40-50 minutes max to cool down the home by 2 degrees.
However, that time is not the same everywhere because certain factors influence the cooling power & time of an air conditioner. So let’s take a look at them.
Factors Influencing the Cooling of an AC
Here are some very important factors that affect the time taken by your AC to cool 2 degrees:
Size of AC & Home
The size of your AC & home plays an important role in determining how long your AC will take to cool 2 degrees.
If your AC & home have the perfect matching size then your AC will take less time to cool 2 degrees (40-50 minutes approximately).
On the other hand, if your house is too big & your AC is small then it will take much longer time to cool 2 degrees. It’s because a bigger house means a bigger space. A small AC will have less power to cool the far corners of your house in a short time. Therefore, your AC will have to work harder and longer (way more than 40-50 minutes) to cool 2 degrees.
Moreover, when your AC will have to work for a longer time, it will consume more power and increase your utility bills. It can also get damaged due to excessive working & wear and tear which will decrease its life.
The Outside Temperature
The outdoor temperature is one of the major factors that affect the cooling of an air conditioner.
If you are living somewhere in the USA where the outdoor temperatures are too high (more than 93-95 degrees) then your AC will have to run for more time to cool down the temperature up to 2 degrees. When the AC will run for a prolonged time then the pressure on the compressor will increase it may get damaged due to wear & tear. This will lead to more repairs & eventually decrease the lifespan of your air conditioner unit.
However, if you are living somewhere in the USA where outdoor temperatures are not too high (below 93-95 degrees) then your AC will work for a shorter time to cool 2 degrees.
Therefore, your outdoor temperature also matters a lot.
Performance of your AC
The third most important factor that determines how long your AC will take to cool 2 degrees is the performance of your AC.
If your air conditioner unit is just perfect, regularly maintained, and runs smoothly then it will have better cooling power and take less time to cool 2 degrees.
On the other hand, if your air conditioner has never been properly maintained and has a lot of technical errors inside then it means that it will not give better performance. Its cooling power will also be less and it will take a much longer time to cool 2 degrees.
Therefore, the performance and condition of your air conditioner also matter a lot in this regard.
Presence of Attic Insulation
The presence of attic insulation also plays a solid role in determining how long the AC will take to cool 2 degrees.
The fact is that heat flows from hotter to colder regions. So in summers, when it will be very hot outside, the heat outside will start flowing inside your house.
If your home will not have attic insulation then the heat from outside will keep flowing into your room and thus keep increasing the temperature of your home. So your AC will have to work longer to cool 2 degrees as its efficiency will significantly decrease.
On the other hand, if your home will have attic insulation then the heat won’t be able to come inside. Moreover, the attic insulation also prevents the cooling from dissipating. This way the efficiency of your AC will increase and it will cool 2 degrees in less time.
Is your AC taking a long time to cool?
If your AC unit keeps running for a long time and it barely reaches the temperature you have set on the thermostat then it could be due to the following reasons:
Your AC is smaller in Size
We told you above that the size of your AC & home is very important for its cooling time & power.
Using a small AC in a large house will be inefficient and it will take a lot of time to reach the temperature set on the thermostat.
Instead, we recommend you use the right size of AC for your home.
Technical Problems in AC
Several different technical problems can restrict your AC from cooling efficiently such as dirty air filters, compressor issues, low refrigerant levels, blockages in the drain, fan or motor lock, and broken thermostat, etc.
We recommend you get your AC unit get checked by a technical expert to get the exact problem sorted out & fixed.
No Insulation & High Outdoor Temperature
If your house has no insulation and you are living in an area with higher outdoor temperatures then the heat outside will transfer in your home & decrease the cooling efficiency of your AC.
