In this knowledge hub piece we discuss air conditioning set points, including suggestions for improving efficiency.
If you would like further information about air conditioning set points, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
The set point for an air conditioning unit is a precise target temperature. In heating mode, the unit expels warm air until it reaches the target temperature. In cooling mode, the unit expels cool air until it reaches the target temperature.
The set point can be changed manually using the control panel, or remote controller if you have one. In some buildings, set points are controlled centrally so there is no manual override.
In an everyday comfort cooling application, a tolerance of +2° is accepted. For process cooling applications, the tolerance levels can be stricter.
The air conditioning unit uses a temperature sensor located on the return air feed. This measures the ambient temperature of the area and compares it with the set point.
The compressor in the air conditioning unit stops and the unit continues to push out ambient temperature air. In newer units with inverter-driven compressors, the compressor winds down and continues to run at a minimum; this helps maintain the health of the compressor and eliminates sudden stops and starts. The compressor works at a reduced rate until the temperature goes above/ below the set point, at which point the compressor kicks back in.
When in cooling mode – each °C higher you set the temperature at will improve the efficiency around 3%.
When in heating mode – each °C lower you set the temperature at will improve the efficiency by around 3%.
Implementing ‘off timers’ to your air conditioning units at various points in the day and having the units not switch back on without manual intervention could have a considerable effect on their efficiency and running costs. Off timers could be programmed 4 or 5 times throughout the day for the systems to switch off at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00. Adopting this approach could drastically reduce the number of hours per day the units are operational. Certainly, an off timer at 18:00 will help safeguard against the equipment accidently being left running overnight when an office or workspace is empty.
If you are interested in this functionality, and your system controller does not offer this, we can help with upgrading your controllers. Please get in touch to find out more.