This Is Hands Down The Worst Floor Plan For AC Efficiency

It's a classic summertime scenario: After a day of running around with sweat dripping down your body and baking in the summer sun, you're desperate to get back home and turn on your AC. However, your already bad mood will get worse if your appliance starts dragging its feet and cools your living area unevenly. The good news is there are many air conditioner failures you can repair yourself. The bad news? Your home's layout may be making things worse for you.

Matt Gorbacz, the owner of Clean Air Technologies, an HVAC cleaning company, explained the worst floor plan for AC efficiency in an exclusive interview with House Digest. "Open-concept floor plans are the most challenging for AC efficiency, more so if the home has high ceilings, large windows, and an open kitchen connected to the living and dining areas," Gorbacz said. Though you don't have to buy a separate AC for each of these rooms as you do in a closed-concept home, the lack of barriers hampers your appliance's cooling power.

"Here, there aren't many walls separating the different areas of the home," our expert elaborated. "This results in air not circulating evenly and some areas of the home ending up much warmer than others." This is one of the reasons why designers are giving up on open-concept floor plans. "Also, this means the AC has to run longer in order to maintain a consistent temperature, which, in turn, results in more wear on the AC and higher energy bills," Gorbacz added. So, if you have noticed uneven cooling or a sudden spike in energy usage, know that your floor plan may be the reason why your energy bill is so high.

You're probably not prepared to section off your open floor plan with solid walls, but you can still try a few tips to improve your AC's efficiency. "The first thing one should do is make sure their AC is sized for the entire area and not a smaller enclosed space like a bedroom," advised Gorbacz. But don't just consider your living area's square footage when calculating the size of your AC. You should also consider "ceiling height, window placement, insulation, and any extra heat coming from the kitchen," he directed.

Moreover, stay on top of your appliance's maintenance. Our expert said, "The AC's air filters should also be cleaned on a regular basis and supply vents and return-air grilles should not be blocked by furniture." Otherwise, you'll keep tweaking the temperature and mode, but it won't have much of an impact on your air conditioner's cooling power. The same goes for gaps that might be leaking air, so identify and seal them as soon as possible.

Another tip is not to rely solely on your AC; keep your ceiling fan on, too. Gorbacz reasoned, "Ceiling fans help a lot in reducing the drag on AC by circulating cool air and reducing hot spots." He also recommended using blinds when the sun is blazing outside to make it easier for your appliance to cool your home. Curtains can come in handy as well. Despite these efforts, "If the AC is still not working efficiently, the best thing one can do is consult with an HVAC professional. They can check the ductwork for dust buildup and suggest if zoning or an extra AC is needed," said our expert.

Hoping to outfit your open floor plan with a new AC? Pay attention to the type for a superior cooling experience. "For an open-concept home, a variable-speed AC sized for the space is better than other ACs," Gorbacz said. "That's because it can adjust its output to match the cooling demand without having to switch between full power and being off." This will reduce the number of on/off cycles overall. Plus, such models consume less power, making them an energy-efficient option.

However, "if your living area is much bigger, a ducted central AC with properly designed ductwork and zoning is a good choice," he proposed. The lack of barriers, such as walls and doors, will promote air flow and your entire living area will feel cool within minutes. "You can even go for a ductless mini-split AC if your existing AC is struggling to cool and installing a ducted central AC isn't practically possible." Just be sure you pick a unit from a top-rated mini-split brand for your home.

Smart thermostats can prove useful, too, and help you "manage cooling more efficiently as one can schedule temperatures based on their daily routines and adjust settings remotely," explained our HVAC expert. "Some thermostat models even have remote temperature sensors, which are especially helpful in an open floor plan where one area can be warmer than another." But he warned that it won't be of much assistance if your ductwork is clogged with dust, the vents are blocked, and you have a smaller AC, so taking care of those factors first is essential.