What Are the Best Spring Settings for Your Air Conditioner?

You can invest in the most modern and expensive air conditioning system on the market, but all those cutting-edge features won’t matter if you don’t know what to set your AC to in spring to maximize efficiency and comfort. Luckily for you, finding the perfect balance between comfort and efficiency isn’t nearly as hard as it may seem. 

In previous articles, we supplied you with a brief guide on how to make your AC spring-ready and explained why keeping your air conditioner clean is essential and how to do it. Now we’ll explain how you can set up your AC to optimize its performance during the warmer months of the year. Read on to learn more. 

What should my AC be set to in spring?

Normal cooling settings for thermostats in Chandler, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and other Arizona cities are recommended to be at 75-80 degrees fahrenheit. Setting them higher than this while you’re home can make your home feel stuffy, while setting them lower will shorten the life of your AC by forcing it to keep up with the extreme Arizona temperatures. 

Here’s a good rule of thumb when setting your temperatures:

• 78 degrees fahrenheit when you’re home
• 85 degrees fahrenheit when you’re away or at work
• 82 degrees fahrenheit while you’re sleeping

What is the ideal AC setting?

Unfortunately, a universal answer to this question simply doesn’t exist. Your and your family’s ideal settings will vary widely depending on the time of year, the weather conditions in your area, the insulation in your home, the size of your AC relative to the size of the area it’s supposed to cool or heat up, the way your body reacts to changes in temperature, and more.

Furthermore, aging or faulty air conditioners can become less efficient than they used to be. As a result, the same temperature settings that used to be perfect for you before will no longer be able to “hit the sweet spot” in your household. 

When in doubt, it’s best to follow the settings we recommended above, or reach out to a reputable HVAC service and consult with a registered technician directly. 

How to save energy when setting your thermostat?

As a general rule, you want to set your thermostat to the highest possible temperature you can stand during summer, and vice versa during winter. This way, you’ll be able to maintain comfortable temperatures without overburdening your HVAC system and adding hundreds of dollars to your energy bill.

Other ways to keep your home cool include:

• Blinds and blackout curtains can be used to block direct sunlight, which will greatly reduce the amount of heat that gets into your home.
• Throw open the windows. In many parts of America, night temperatures are as many as 20 degrees lower than day temperatures. In the evening, simply switch off your AC and open the windows to let in cool air.
• Ceiling fans can make any room they’re in feel up to 4 degrees colder. This enables you to save energy by setting your thermostat higher.

Who should I call when I need AC repair in Chandler, Arizona?

If you still aren’t sure what to set your AC to in the spring, or your air conditioner has started acting up in some way, your best course of action is to reach out to Hughes Air. With over 30 years of hands-on experience, we are your top choice for all your heating and cooling needs in Chandler. 

Our technicians will gladly deal with any HVAC-related problem you may have while you focus on your other responsibilities or simply relax at the Tumbleweed Recreation Center with your friends and loved ones. Call us today.