There are a number of conditions that need to be present for your air conditioner to perform efficiently & reach its peak performance. When air conditioners are tested to establish their seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER), all these conditions are in place. If your air conditioner isn’t being provided with similar conditions, it will perform at a lower SEER than the one it received as a rating.

Sizing

It’s important that air conditioners be correctly sized for the home they’re cooling. Air conditioners that are too large have short run times, which is inefficient because cycling on and off involves time running at inefficient speeds. The SEER rating is only accurate for air conditioners that experience decent run times.

Airflow

Air conditioners need a certain airflow rate across their coils for efficient operation. The air handler is responsible for this, but if ductwork has too much resistance to airflow, the air handler may not be able to provide sufficient airflow rates. This may occur if the ductwork is too small or has too many turns. It also can happen if it’s obstructed, so air registers need to be free from obstructions and ducts should be cleaned if there’s too much dust or debris in them.

Refrigerant

Split-system air conditioners need to be charged with the appropriate amount of refrigerant upon installation. If this is done incorrectly, the air conditioner will operate inefficiently. The amount of refrigerant needed is based on the length of the refrigerant lines, so accurate measurements are key. Your air conditioner’s refrigerant levels should be checked during the annual maintenance. If it’s low, the system should be checked for leaks.

Duct leakage

For air conditioners to efficiently cool your home, the conditioned air needs to make it to where it’s needed. If your ductwork isn’t properly sealed, conditioned air will escape to areas where it’s not useful. Ducts that pass through unconditioned spaces need to be insulated to mitigate the thermal leakage they experience.

If you want help optimizing the performance of your air conditioner, contact Cooper Climate Control Heating & Air Conditioning.

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