On 16 Jul 2006 22:13:23 -0700, "glynndaddy"
wrote:

Is there a general rule-of-thumb for how long an air conditioner should
run and how long it should stay off? I realize this probably depends
on a variety of variables, but is there a rule-of-thumb. I've searched
quite a bit and can not seem to find an answer.

If it helps, my house is 1 story, 2400 sq ft. I have the thermostat
set at 78. It is 85 degrees outside, humidy 72%.

Right now, my a/c stays on for 8 - 10 minutes and goes off for 7 - 9
minutes.

Thanks for your help.

yeah, what darrel said plus, my thermastat has a 1 or 2 degree
differential setting. The 2 setting makes it run longer between
cycles.

This time of year, in the hottest part of the day, a well designed
system should be running just about all the time.