Is it better to leave the air conditioner on or turn it off and on?

I want to make sure that I am running my HVAC in an energy efficient way.

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The most energy efficient, and cheapest, way to run an HVAC is to leave it at a set temperature. By turning it on and off, the compressor will wear quicker.

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Answer by harwoodkp (376)

Overall it is usually better to leave the air conditioner on. You might save some money during the time you are not there, but the rooms continue to heat up. When you start up the air, it will have to work harder to get the temperature down.

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Answer by meitalTreg (21)

Better to leave the air conditioner turned if the leave the house for a bit better to leave on, it's like a computer should not turn off and turn on every time unless leaving for a long time of over an hour and a half

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posted by Anonymous
That doesn't make sense - the air conditioner turns on and off as dictated by the thermostat. So when it's maintaining a steady temperature, it's actually turning on and off frequently. add a comment

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