What to Expect After a Major Air Conditioning Repair

People often expect to have a perfectly cool home immediately after a major repair to their home comfort system, but if your house isn’t feeling comfortable a few hours after the system is up and running, don’t reach for the phone just yet. If you’ve had significant repairs done or if the system has been off for an extended period for any reason, it could take up to 24 hours to make the air in your home feel comfortable again. Here’s what happens in those 24 hours.

Humidity control

Your home comfort system performs two important functions, temperature control and humidity control, and your home won’t be comfortable until both functions have been performed.

You want your home’s relative humidity to be between 35 and 40 percent in order to keep the air comfortable and prevent mold and bacteria growth. In Florida, the relative humidity level outside can often rise to 90 percent or more. If your home is without air conditioning for a period of time, the relative humidity in your home quickly begins to climb toward outdoor humidity levels.

While your home comfort system cools your home, it removes excess moisture from the air. Water vapor cools and condenses on your unit’s refrigerated coils. The water collects and drips onto a pan below the coils before exiting your home through your unit’s condensate line. This process takes time, especially if your home’s humidity levels are elevated, so it’s important that your system doesn’t cool your home down too quickly.

Temperature control

How long it takes your home comfort system to cool your house completely depends on a few variables: how large your home is, the capacity of your system, the temperature inside and outside of your home, and many more. In most instances, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours for your home to start cooling down.

If you have an attic and it isn’t properly insulated, cold air could be escaping into the attic, slowing down your home’s cooling process. Poorly insulated attics can also reach temperatures upwards of 150 degrees in the summer, and that hot air can continue to make its way into the rest of your home while you have your system back up and running.

Also keep in mind that most home comfort systems aren’t equipped to cool your home to a temperature more than 20 degrees below the temperature outside, so make sure your expectations (and thermostat) are set realistically.

In most cases, your home should feel more comfortable within a few hours. It might not take the full 24 hours to cool your home completely, but if your home still isn’t comfortable the next day, there may be cause for concern. If you have any questions about your home’s heating or cooling, call Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning at 850-580-4029.