You\u2019ve probably heard this advice before regarding the best way to run an air conditioning system: you should set your air conditioner to stay on all day (at a high temperature, such as the upper 70s) while you\u2019re away from home, rather than leave it off and turn it on only when you get back home. The logic behind this piece of advice is that this 1) makes it easier to quickly cool down the house when you return, and 2) uses less energy, because an air conditioner drains more power at start-up than when running regularly.<\/p>\n
But is this actually true?<\/em><\/p>\n No, it\u2019s not. We\u2019ll explain below.<\/p>\n Like many bits of misguided advice, there\u2019s a kernel of truth here. An air conditioner does<\/em> place the most demand on the electrical system when it enters the start-up cycle. This is why a short-cycling AC is such a money-waster: it\u2019s caught in the start-up cycle and keeps turning on and off. However, the amount of energy it takes to turn on the air conditioner when you get home compared to running it all day\u2014even at a high temperature\u2014is small. You\u2019ll save more money by simply keeping the air conditioner turned off when you aren\u2019t home.<\/p>\n Keeping an air conditioner running all day will also cause the system to wear down faster, and this will definitely cost you money in the long run.<\/p>\nWhy you shouldn\u2019t keep the air conditioner running all day<\/h3>\n