Does it Cost More When Central Air Furnace Brings Long or Short Burst

Longer Cycles More Efficient

• When a central air conditioner is running a cooling cycle, it is at the highest possible efficiency it can obtain without being off completely. The air conditioner is at far lower efficiency when starting and stopping. With this idea in mind, it’s easy to see that a longer cycle is more efficient that multiple short cycles. While the time of operation may be reduced with short bursts of cooling, it also means that the system has to start and stop more times that it does when running long cycles. So, if you had to choose between an excessively long cooling cycle and a short cycle, the longer cycle is going to be easier on the pocketbook.

Short Cycles

• What causes a central air system to short cycle is usually its cooling capacity. Contrary to what may make sense to you, the bigger unit doesn’t necessarily mean the better unit. Air conditioner sizes are important because there are negative effects related to both undersized and oversized units. The size of the air conditioner should correlate with the home it is installed in. When the system is oversized, it cools the space too quickly and runs in very short bursts. It shuts on and off too often and is unable to run long enough to remove moisture from the air as designed. In addition to wasted energy, the oversized unit wears out more quickly because of all the starting and stopping. So, the cost of an oversized, short cycling air conditioner is actually more than one that is undersized.

Long Cycles

• While the oversized, short cycling unit is the most costly, the undersized unit that runs almost constantly isn’t much better. Long run times mean lots of wasted energy as the undersized system struggles to keep up with the demands of a large space. Although it is running at a higher efficiency than a short-cycling unit, the long cooling cycles also reduce the lifespan of the system. So, this issue will end up costing you unnecessary money in replacement and monthly energy bills as well. The best bet is to get a properly sized system for maximum efficiency and lifespan.

Factors to Determine Size

• You will have to look at several factors to determine the correct size air conditioner for your home. The first step is to calculate the square footage. Without considering additional heat factors, you can expect a 12,000 BTU or 1-ton air conditioner to cool about 500 square feet effectively. Other factors should be considered as well. Determine the percentage of your home that is heavily shaded, excessively sunny, the number of inhabitants, the amount of cooking that goes on in the kitchen and the general climate conditions in your area. All of these factors can reduce or increase your need for air conditioning capacity.