{"id":4490,"date":"2023-06-19T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/?p=4490"},"modified":"2023-06-14T15:33:13","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T19:33:13","slug":"how-to-set-your-ac-during-extreme-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/air-conditioning-service\/how-to-set-your-ac-during-extreme-heat\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Your AC During Extreme Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/ThermometerHot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/ThermometerHot-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/ThermometerHot-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/ThermometerHot.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Extreme heat is an issue that\u2019s becoming more common in Michigan. In fact, we just experienced record-high temperatures and it\u2019s not even summer. These heat waves are occurring earlier in the season and happen more often.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When unusually high temperatures are in the forecast, homeowners want to know: \u201cWhat temperature should I set my AC at during extreme heat?\u201d The simple answer is you should set it at the highest temperature that you\u2019re comfortable with. But there\u2019s more to it than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also important to seriously ask yourself how well your AC has performed when temperatures have skyrocketed. You can\u2019t afford to be without your air conditioning system during a heat wave. Let\u2019s take a look at some things to consider so you can hopefully avoid an interruption in service during record-high temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2>How Reliable Is Your AC?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As a homeowner, you should have a fairly good idea of how reliable your AC is, especially if your AC is older. An AC system that has been maintained regularly is supposed to last 10-15 years. If your AC is past the 10-year mark, that\u2019s when its performance can suddenly decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We mentioned the importance of tune-ups so,<strong> <\/strong>did you schedule <a href=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/air-conditioning\/ac-repair\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AC maintenance<\/a> this year? This is absolutely the most important thing you can do to make sure your AC sails you safely through a heat wave, especially if it\u2019s been a few years since you had it done.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During maintenance, our NATE-certified technicians check every component of your system. We\u2019ll test everything and make sure it\u2019s working at peak efficiency. Tune-ups are also an opportunity to catch even the smallest problem to keep it from becoming a bigger issue later on\u2013like during a heat wave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also essential for homeowners to <strong>change the filter regularly <\/strong>every 1-3 months during the cooling season. Keeping the air filter clean means keeping your AC\u2019s inner working parts clean which is key to helping it run efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What Temperature Should I Set My AC at During Extreme Heat?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, an AC system can reasonably achieve up to a 20-degree difference between the outside and the inside air. So when it\u2019s 85\u00b0 F outside, your AC shouldn\u2019t have a problem reaching 75\u00b0 F.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if it\u2019s 100\u00b0 F outside, expecting your AC to be able to reach a temperature in the 70s is unreasonable. Setting your thermostat at a temperature that\u2019s lower than this 20\u00b0 difference will be incredibly taxing to your system and could possibly result in your AC overheating and breaking down completely. A period of extreme heat isn\u2019t the time to set your AC to 68\u00b0F.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a heat wave, it\u2019s generally recommended that you set your AC between 78\u00b0F and 80\u00b0F. Or, just try and raise the thermostat to the highest temperature that your family finds comfortable. Be sure to use other methods to keep your home cool such as closing all the blinds and curtains, using your ceiling fans, and avoiding using major appliances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/contact\/send-a-message\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Contact A-1 Mechanical Heating &amp; Cooling<\/strong><\/a><strong> for your next AC repair or maintenance in Lansing, MI. Comfort and Character You Can Depend On!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When unusually high temperatures are in the forecast, homeowners want to know: \u201cWhat temperature should I set my AC at during extreme heat?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[70],"tags":[38,123],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4490"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4490"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4492,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4490\/revisions\/4492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}