Long Cycles
Long cycles can be problematic too. They can be a sign your heating and cooling system is too small for your home, or the ductwork is improperly sized or sealed. Long run cycles will also make your utility bills go through the roof!
Long cycles can also point to a number of issues such as dirty filters, low refrigerant (freon or puron) levels in the system.
However, extremely high outdoor temperatures (95 °F or higher) and high humidity/heat index will cause longer run times in many homes as there is more heat coming into the home than the air conditioner can remove.
Cycles That Are Just Right
Ideally, a properly operating air conditioner should cycle for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, two to three times per hour.
If the temperature inside your home is very high, is much higher than the temperature that your thermostat is set at, or the outside temperature is very high, the run time will increase.
Also, while it may seem counter intuitive, more energy efficient heating and cooling systems will actually run longer than a standard system as they are designed to better regulate the temperature in the home and remove more humidity for increased comfort.
