Is It Bad to Switch Between AC and Heat?

Earlier this month in the Midwest, we were basking in warm weather and sunshine, and you might have thought you were done with your furnace for the season and turned on your AC. However, the weather is unpredictable and near-freezing temperatures made their unwelcome return here in Ohio, causing homeowners to wonder if switching from AC to heat is going to hurt their system. Today on the blog, your friends at Allied Services, Inc. are discussing the right way to make the switch.

Is it Bad?

So, can we switch from heating to cooling safely even if we have to switch it right back the next day? The short answer is that switching between heat and air conditioning is okay, even if you do it frequently. As long as you’re doing it correctly, you won’t increase your energy costs or prematurely degrade your equipment. But, many people are unaware of how—and more importantly, when—to make the change.

When to Make the Switch

The most crucial thing is to let your unit finish its current cycle before switching from heat to air conditioning, or vice versa. If the air conditioning is on, leave it running until it turns itself off (check that your thermostat is set to AUTO rather than ON). Turn the thermostat to OFF and wait five minutes after the AC cycle is finished. After that, switch it back to heat and turn it on.

How to Make the Switch

Avoid the temptation to set your thermostat to an excessively-high or low temperature. This won’t speed up the heating or cooling process in your home. It will actually just make your system run for a lot longer than it should, resulting in unnecessary wear and tear on your system and wasting a lot of energy. Instead, only adjust your thermostat by a few degrees at a time. Your system will be able to “catch up” as a result without having to work too hard or use more energy.

Switching back and forth from AC to heat can slightly increase the workload on your system, so make sure you’re keeping up with your preventative maintenance schedule to keep everything running as it should. But, just because it’s cold one day and hot the next, doesn’t mean you need to be uncomfortable in your own home. Contact Allied Services, Inc. today at (937) 269-5059 to schedule an appointment or for more information.