Having a functional and high-performing air conditioner in your Spokane, WA, home is becoming increasingly important. In Eastern Washington, record-breaking heat is becoming the norm, and buying the best and most efficient AC model you can find isn’t guaranteed to provide the results you want. Without proper installation and settings that are streamlined to suit your living environment, your air conditioner may not be able to create and maintain a comfortable indoor climate. Read on to learn everything you need to know about AC fan settings, including why they can and should be changed.
Four Hundred Cubic Feet Per Minute Is the Standard AC Fan Setting
The standard AC fan setting is 400 cubic feet per minute (CFM). However, this doesn’t make 400 CFM the ideal fan setting for all homes. When AC installers are especially fastidious, they make slight fan adjustments when putting in an air conditioner unit. They’ll consider things like the layout of your home, its level of insulation, and many other factors to ensure that your AC fan is blowing at the ideal speed for your home.
Why Your Home Envelope Is an Important Consideration
Well-insulated homes that have been streamlined for efficiency have impressively low cooling demands. Air conditioners don’t have to work hard to cool these homes down, and maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures doesn’t require a lot of energy. The result is significantly shorter cooling cycles.
If you have an energy-efficient home due to the installation of quality windows, weatherstripping, and insulation, your air conditioner’s cooling cycle may not be long enough to for your AC to reduce indoor humidity. This can leave the interior of your home feeling muggy even when your thermostat registers a moderate and ultimately comfortable temperature. Reducing your AC fan speed to account for your home’s airtight envelope can make a world of difference.
Fan Adjustments May Make Conditioned Air Even Colder
Fan speeds also determine how long air spends on the AC evaporator’s coils where it’s subjected to the cooling effects of refrigerant. Longer time spent on the evaporator coils makes conditioned air even cooler. If the air coming out of your HVAC air vents is only moderately cool, a minor fan adjustment may be needed.
Since 1955, NORCO Heating & Air Conditioning has been providing reliable heating and cooling services to residents of Spokane, Washington. Our clients can also count on us for tankless water heater installation, electrical service, and advanced indoor air quality solutions. If you need an AC fan speed adjustment, we’ve got you covered. Call us today.
