Have you recently walked out the front door wearing your favorite holiday sweater, boots and beanie only to be hit with a wall of warm, humid air? Wait. Wasn’t it just 30 degrees yesterday? Welcome to Louisiana where all four seasons can happen in one week.
This winter one day and spring/summer the next is also felt inside as it does the outdoors. It also has us flipping between the heater and the air conditioning from one day to the next. This can’t be good for your HVAC system right? Or is it actually okay to do?
The answer to the second question is YES. It is perfectly fine to go from heating your home to turning on the air conditioning in one day, but there are a few things you need to be mindful of when the weather changes so quickly.
Cycle Down, Pause, Then Switch.
Before you switch from heating to cooling, let it finish it’s cycle, then shut it off and “pause” for about 5-10 minutes. This allows the refrigerant time to go to its starting pressure and prevents the compressor of locking up. If you go from heat to AC during a cycle, it can trip a breaker or blow a fuse because of the electricity the system is drawing.
A Little At A Time.
Once your 5-10 minutes have passed, turn on the desired mode but do not set the temperature to a drastically different degree right away. Gradually change the temperature little by little. This keeps the system from being overworked.
The answer to the first question is also yes. Frequent switches from heat to AC does increase the workload on your system, but this is inevitable especially in Louisiana. And another reason why scheduling routine maintenance is important to make sure you are getting the optimal performance out of your HVAC system.
So go enjoy this crazy weather and set your system to your comfort level of your choice with the peace of mind knowing you don’t have to freeze at night or sweat during the day. Your home can be comfy cozy each and every day.
