Two-stage cooling delivers maximum cooling power when you need it and maximum energy-saving efficiency the rest of the time. Your central air conditioner is engineered to provide full cooling output when the temperature and your thermostat setting call for it. However, the problem with standard single-stage units is that they run at full output all the time — even when temperatures are moderate and lower output is more appropriate. It’s sort of like keeping the accelerator in your car pressed all the way to the floor with the brake on, even when traffic is light and slow-moving.
New air conditioners that offer two-stage cooling are smarter. When the A/C cycles on, it runs in full output to rapidly cool the premises. Once the thermostat setting is achieved, the system automatically downshifts into lower output mode. The benefits of two-stage technology include:
- Lower energy consumption and reduced operating costs. When the two-stage compressor is running in low output mode, it uses significantly less electricity. This shows up as savings on your monthly utility bills.
- Improved comfort performance. A single-stage air conditioner is always at either 100% cooling output or zero percent. These extremes cause very noticeable temperature swings as the system cycles on and off, typically fluctuating many degrees above and below the actual thermostat setting. A two-stage system keeps comfort more consistent and eliminates temperature swings.
- Better humidity reduction. The humidity extraction function of an air conditioner works best when the system runs more continuously. Because a one-stage system cycles on and off frequently, it never reaches optimum humidity reduction. A two-stage system runs extended cycles at lower, more-efficient output which reduces humidity more effectively.
- Reduced wear and tear. Any mechanical device that turns on and off frequently incurs more wear and tear. Two-stage cooling runs longer at lower output, inflicting less wear on components and delivering longer expected service life.
Ask the cooling professionals at Jackson & Sons for more about the benefits of two-stage cooling.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
