How Late-Summer Heat Causes Your AC to Run Longer
By the final weeks of summer, the quiet breaks between AC cycles often become shorter. A Kansas City homeowner may hear the outdoor unit running through dinner, notice that upstairs rooms take longer to cool, or wonder why the house still feels heavy and warm after sunset. What makes this confusing is that the outdoor temperature may be nearly identical to a temperature the system handled easily in June. All 4 One Heating & Cooling works with Kansas City households through these late-summer conditions, when air conditioners often face the greatest combined workload of the cooling season. The difference is the amount of work hidden behind the thermostat reading. An AC has to remove every source of heat entering or being released inside the home. It also has to remove moisture. By August, roof materials, framing, masonry, concrete, and the soil around the foundation have absorbed heat through repeated hot days. Attics can reach their highest temperatures of the year, while warm nig...