Help settle an argument--is it ok to run a window AC for three days straight?

[Darkstar One]

My sister says you should let the unit rest for a while every so often.   I've never heard of this.  Is it ok to run an air conditioner for three or four days without turning it off?  (Assuming the weather is warm/hot)

[Larraque]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110621031636AAlErSE


Seems reasonable.

[Harkonis]

It's fine.  We've run them most of the summer straight before.

[Chaz]

My fridge runs all day, why shouldn't my AC unit?

[Shinjin]

The only reason I can think of giving it a rest is if the coils frost over.  At that point the unit can no longer exchange heat.  The 'rest' period is to let the frost/ice melt...  But if your unit doesn't have that problem, then let it fly.

[CeeKay]

My fridge runs all day, why shouldn't my AC unit?

don't you get tired of having to constantly catch it though?

[TheEgoWhip]

Most newer units seem to cycle the compressor on and off themselves for while running, at least mine seem to.  I do remember having an older unit at out last house that could freeze solid every once in a while and need to dethaw but never seen it happen with our newer units.

[EngineNo9]

My fridge runs all day, why shouldn't my AC unit?

But your refrigerator doesn't actually run all day, it is constantly turning the condenser unit on and off as it needs further cooling.

[rshetts2]

If you run your AC for 3 straight days, you risk opening a hyper dimensional portal to the 8th dimension allowing Red Lectoids with names like John Bigboote access to your home..... dont do it!

[Purge]

Most newer units seem to cycle the compressor on and off themselves for while running, at least mine seem to.  I do remember having an older unit at out last house that could freeze solid every once in a while and need to dethaw but never seen it happen with our newer units.

Dethaw?

de - to undo, reverse
thaw - to melt.

[Chaz]

I noticed that too, but I decided to bite my tongue. 

[TheEgoWhip]

Most newer units seem to cycle the compressor on and off themselves for while running, at least mine seem to.  I do remember having an older unit at out last house that could freeze solid every once in a while and need to dethaw but never seen it happen with our newer units.

Dethaw?

de - to undo, reverse
thaw - to melt.

ya I saw that after hitting submit but didn't want to bother with an edit just to change it to unthaw.

[Chaz]

Unthaw would have the same problem.  I think you were aiming for "defrost." 

[Blackjack]

More modern window A/C units sometimes have a timer on the panel. I think the idea is to set it to turn off after you've fallen asleep (and presumably it's cooler), or keep it cool for a while after you've left home and then eventually shut off on its own. See this model at Hammacher Schlemmer:
http://www.hammacher.com/Product/81376?refsku=11636&xsp=1&promo=xsells

There are some nice (terribly expensive though, often twice as much as window units) movable units that vent out of a window rather than being mounted there:
http://www.hammacher.com/Product/11636?refsku=81376&xsp=1&promo=xsells

While I don't think running it constantly is necessarily "wrong," these things do wear out eventually. I don't think it hurts to conserve the fan motor/bearings etc. a bit.

My bathroom vent fan motor just crapped out after probably decades of use, and it's something I have to replace (it's just a $15 or so motor I have to find at Lowe's). And I'm trying to live through this horrific heatwave with my central A/C at modest settings (80-81) because I just don't know how much life my 40+ year old unit has in it. The A/C repair folks in the past told me they just can't find basic replacements parts for it anymore.