Is your house not staying cool? Is your thermostat set to 70 degrees, but is still showing that it’s 75 degrees in the house?
In extreme summer heat like we’re having this week, this is completely normal.
While it may seem abnormal for your house to be 77 degrees when your thermostat is set for 71, keep in mind that the 100 degree weather outside is also abnormal. Your air conditioner or heat pump is designed for what the typical temperatures are throughout the summer – around the mid to high 80’s.
Air conditioners are designed to cool a maximum of 20 degrees from the outside temperature.
If it is 100 degrees outside, don’t be surprised if your house isn’t getting below 80 degrees. Your system is still doing its job and working properly.
Most residential air conditioners and heat pumps are not designed for 100 degree weather.
Still think there might be something wrong with your system?
Here are a couple of things you can check before scheduling a service call:
- Have you changed your air filter recently? Most AC systems should have their filters changed every 30 days. If it's been longer than that, try changing the filter and see if conditions improve.
- Wait until late afternoon or evening when the temperatures drop to 90 degrees or below. You should notice the temperature in your house adjusting to the temperature set on your thermostat.
- Do you use SMECO or BGE? If you are enrolled in one of their PeakRewards Air Conditioning programs (see more details here), they can shut off your air conditioner remotely to reduce electricity use during "peak" demand times in the summer. If you are enrolled in this program and your air conditioner is periodically shutting off, it could be because of this program and not an issue with your system.
