How Fast Should AC Cool House Without Breaking It?

When it is thirty degrees outside, people seek to cool themselves down by resting below shade or running the air conditioner. But how fast should AC cool house without breaking it? Determining how long it should take to cool your home faster and more efficiently is crucial to avoid unnecessary strain on the system.

Over time, technological improvements gradually changed our lifestyle norms from years ago, such as when we had to write letters and have them delivered to a specified address. One such technological improvement is the air conditioner, abbreviated as AC. 

How Fast Should AC Cool House Without Breaking it?

Many homeowners know that an AC system can take several hours to cool your home. But how long should it take for an AC to cool a home faster without compromising efficiency?

Read also: Understanding Air Conditioner BTU Meaning

But how long ac to cool the house? On average, a standard AC takes eighteen minutes to cool down a house by one degree. Then, it will take another eighteen minutes to cool it down by another degree, and it will take another eighteen minutes to cool it down by another degree, and so on. 

how fast should ac cool house

From that, we can conclude that the air conditioner, on average, decreases the temperature in a house by around three degrees every hour. But this is simply a calculation taken from an average. Not everyone will use the same time to cool down a house by several degrees.

We will now discuss the factors affecting how fast AC should cool the house. They are as follows:

  • Size of the air conditioning system. If you have a sizable unit, it should take less than eighteen minutes to cool down a house by one degree. On the other hand, if you have a small one, it would take more than eighteen minutes to cool down a house by one degree.
  • Insulation. With good insulation, your house will cool down faster.
  • The size of your home. The bigger the house, the slower the cooling down process will be.
  • Outdoor temperature. Higher outdoor temperatures will cause the speed of the cooling-down process to decrease.

These factors affect how fast AC cool the house. With all of them in mind, we can calculate how long it will take for the AC to cool down your place.

Cooling your home with AC units can work harder to affect how long it takes to reach the desired temperature. Still, other factors, such as insulation and window placement also affect how well your home can maintain a comfortable temperature.

Read also: Can an Air Conditioner Make You Sick? Truth or Myth?

How Long To Cool 1200 Sq Ft House 

Considering these factors, how long should it take to cool a 1200 sq ft house? While the average cooling time for a larger house might be longer, a smaller home should ideally cool faster.

However, if your AC runs for more than 20 minutes without significantly reducing the temperature, it may indicate that your system is undersized for your space.

The measurements above are calculated for an average 2,200 square feet house. If we consider it, cooling down a 1200-square-foot house should be faster than 18 minutes.

But we have to consider other factors. For example, if your air conditioner runs for over 20 minutes but has not dropped the temperature, there is something wrong here. 

If it’s a particularly humid or hot day, the air conditioner needs more time to cool down the house.

If your air conditioner takes more than twenty minutes to cool down a house, your air conditioner may be too small for your house. Upgrading the size of your air conditioner will help fix this problem. If your air conditioner takes less than ten minutes to cool down your place, then your air conditioner is too strong. An oversized air conditioner is detrimental to your bills and leads to more repairs since it will be overworked.

Read also: Air Conditioner Won’t Cool Below 75?

After knowing these factors, we know how long it takes to cool a 1200 sq ft house. Now that you know them, you can adjust accordingly to your situation and plan for better housing. You can also fine-tune how you use the air conditioner, as we know cooling down the house may be too much.

You can cool only the rooms you frequently use by closing the doors. This way, you can use the air conditioner optimally without wasting too much money on electricity bills.

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AirconMag is an experienced author and Air Conditioner expert. With years of practical experience in the field authored several informative articles on various aspects of AC unit, including installation, maintenance, and repair