I don’t know about you, but this is a question that I have asked my HVAC technician and I have also done my research on the topic.
And for some odd reason, I have found many different answers.
They include that it’s best to turn it off or to increase the temperature or to leave the unit running, to suggestions of installing a programmable or Smart thermostat. So, as you can see, there is no clear answer to this question because it all depends on the efficiency of your A/C unit, the insulation in your home as well as the temperature outside. Personally, I rarely turn off my A/C unit. In fact, the only time I turn it off is when I am away from home for more than 3 days. Instead of turning it off, when I am away from home, I increase the temperature to about 82 degrees, so that when I do return, I am not coming back to an absolutely hot house and then have to wait a while for it to cool down. Additionally, I read somewhere that leaving the A/C on helps with the humidity in your home. Yes, having a programmable or SMART thermostat can easily solve this issue because they would be able to give you more control of the unit. You can set those thermostats to the desired temperature and even program them for when you will be away from home. And the Smart thermostat can be accessed when you’re not home, which gives you even more ability to control the temperature in your home.