Why Extreme Texas Temperatures Require Proactive AC Maintenance

The months of July and August are the hottest months of the year in Texas, with average temperatures exceeding ninety degrees, with regular periods that climb above 100 degrees. With such extreme temperatures, you may experience warmer-than-normal indoor temperatures. Turning the thermostat down might help at first, but it is not a long-term solution. Is that supposed to happen? Is something wrong with your air conditioner? Did you neglect routine AC maintenance? Does it get too hot for an air conditioner to work? To understand why this happens, it would be helpful to understand how an air conditioner works.

How Air Conditioners Cool Your Home: The Science of Heat Transfer

Air conditioners use heat transfer, a process that uses several gas laws. The scientific formulas make most people’s eyes glaze over, so here is the short version of the process.

• If you squeeze or compress a substance, it forces the molecules closer together. The molecules keep bumping into each other. Each time they bump into each other, they move faster, gaining energy each time. The additional energy makes the molecules hotter.
• If you release the pressure on a substance, the molecules move apart, bump into each other fewer times, and lose energy. Losing energy means the molecules are getting cooler.
• Air conditioner engineers use molecules that are very efficient at getting warmer/cooler when compressed and released. These substances are commonly referred to as Freon, even though the chemical formula varies.
• Your HVAC system uses Freon in cycles to collect heat from the house and transport it outside. Freon is compressed, then suddenly released into a coil of tubes (which you know are cold because of the cool Freon). Warm air is blown over the coils. The Freon snatches the heat from the air and transports it outside. Removing the heat means the air is cooler as it is pushed back into the home.

Beating the 100-Degree Mark: System Limits and Essential AC Maintenance

Heat transfer is also the process used for refrigeration and freezing, so how cold can a residential air conditioning system make a home? Air conditioning systems are designed to reduce the temperature by 15 to 20 degrees below the outside temperature. While one might desire a cool home at 65 degrees, even during a 100-degree heatwave, the system is not designed for that level of cooling. At 100 degrees, the air conditioner can be expected to reach 82 to 85 degrees. This is probably warmer than your desired comfort level, but it is much more comfortable than the outside temperatures.

Air conditioning equipment also needs steady AC maintenance to ensure they work properly, and it is especially true during extreme temperatures.

• The system requires a tremendous amount of air movement, both inside and outside. Inside, it is important to keep the air filter changed regularly, since the dust collection restricts airflow into the evaporator chamber, located in the central air handler.
• Pollen, dust, and other airborne particles collect on the various surfaces of the condenser coils. This collection serves as an insulator, which defeats the purpose of the entire system: the idea is for heat to move freely. The surface of the condenser coil needs to be cleaned regularly.
• The electronic controls, sensors, and capacitors experience wear with every cycle. You might not see the wear, but a technician can test for the damage. These components are essential for performance during extreme heat.
• Keeping the quantity of Freon correct for proper heat transfer is also important. Losing Freon during such extreme heat means cooling will not happen.
• Installing an oversized system is not a solution. The mismatch between the air conditioner and the house space creates a malfunction called “short cycles.” Short cycles cool a home inefficiently, do not remove enough humidity, and shorten the useful life of the equipment.
• Comfort is achieved with more than just temperature. Removing humidity from the home goes a long way towards improving comfort. Moving air makes skin feel cooler without changing the temperature, so use ceiling fans.

Bumping the thermostat up during heatwaves will not produce the desired results, so be patient and let the air conditioning equipment do its job, while you do yours.

Schedule Your Comprehensive AC Maintenance Appointment Today!

Don’t let the extreme Texas summer heat leave you stranded in a warm home. Your cooling system works harder than ever during July and August, making routine preventative care crucial to avoid unexpected breakdowns. Protect your comfort and extend the lifespan of your system by ensuring your equipment is running at peak efficiency. Call the experts at Doctor Cool at (281) 516-5935 today to schedule your comprehensive AC maintenance appointment, or simply fill out our online contact form to secure your service slot!