How To Tell if Your AC Is Running Efficiently

AC Efficiency Test in Burbank, CA

Having an air conditioner that’s running efficiently can save you money and frustration as the weather gets hotter and stays hot throughout the summer and into the early fall. When you’re trying to determine whether or not your air conditioner is getting the air cold enough at a quick enough pace, there’s a simple test that you can try. You’ll need a thermometer and a hot day.

Temp the Air From the Air Conditioner

On a day that’s hotter than 80 degrees, turn on your air conditioner and find a supply vent. You’ll know that it’s a supply vent because it should be pushing air out. An air conditioner that’s running well should be able to blow a piece of paper enough that it makes cracking sounds as the paper moves under the wind. Put the thermometer on the vent and let it take the temperature of the air coming out of it for about five minutes. You can use a weather thermometer or a cooking thermometer. It just can’t be a thermometer used to check for fever because this kind will shut off. After about five minutes, take the thermometer off the register and check the reading of the air coming out of your vent.

Check the Temperature Difference

The next step is to let the thermometer sit on a supply vent, which will be pulling air from the house into the air conditioner. Let it sit there for about five minutes and check the reading. The difference between the air coming out of the supply vent and the air going into the return vent should be between 15 and 20 degrees. This difference is called the return drop, and there shouldn’t be any larger of a difference because that could actually mean that you have something wrong with your AC. If the difference between these two numbers is significantly smaller, your air conditioner isn’t pulling heat out of the air efficiently.

If you need an HVAC professional to improve the efficiency of your air conditioner, talk to Certified Service in Burbank, CA. We would love to learn how we can assist you. We also offer a wide range of heating services.

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