Does A/C Cycling Have Meaningful Effects? (house, landlord)

[Potential_Landlord]

So I have this new thermostat after the old one broke and it allows me to set how many cycles it allows rather than only let the temperature determine when the AC goes on. Does that make sense at all?
I understand the less cycles you allow the more the temperature will vary and that's not comfortable. On the other hand the less the AC unit comes on the better it is for its longevity (longer and fewer cycles). But is this meaningful and worth it? - Thanks to the expurts here

[PNWGuy]

Sounds right, but for me, comfort comes first. If my hvac is cycling too often, or cycles are too short, I would look at how insulated the house is and fix that, it could also mean your hvac is oversized for your size property. I guess it could also mean the thermostat is too sensitive. In that case, rule out the first two would be good practice anyways.

[DougStark]

Landlord, you're right. Better for the a/c unit to run longer instead of constant cycling.

I reset my thermostat from 1/2 degree to 1 degree setting (unit won't come on til it's 1 degree above my desired temp.) You can make it 2 degrees, but I thought that might be uncomfortable.

[Potential_Landlord]

Thanks for your input guys.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by DougStark

Landlord, you're right. Better for the a/c unit to run longer instead of constant cycling.

I reset my thermostat from 1/2 degree to 1 degree setting (unit won't come on til it's 1 degree above my desired temp.) You can make it 2 degrees, but I thought that might be uncomfortable.

+1

The disadvantage with cycling is that for 2-3 minutes, every time the unit cycles, you're paying for cold air & not getting (efficient) cold air. It takes time for the pressure to build and the cold to come out of the box..

On a perfectly sized system, there wouldn't be any cycles at all on the hottest day of the year - it would run from sunup to sundown & just barely hit the set point at peak solar load. So long cycles are good & a 2 degree "split" (or bigger) is ideal for days that don't have the sun load. The trade off is that the air isn't moving while you're waiting for the split trigger point to hit & some rooms will heat up faster than others (that constant running evens out the temps in the high-load rooms). I'd personally try the 2 degree split & change it back if you notice it. You might not, depending on where you are in the home during the hottest hours.. (And running a ceiling fan is cheap too, just a few cents a day to help out the system & increase comfort).