[54regcab]

Many thermostats have a 5 minute start delay to protect the compressor. Usually it's only from the previous cycle or after power is lost.

As a side note, it's more efficient to just leave your unit set to temperature you want in the morning and leave it there and only set it 1-2F lower after 9PM when you go to bed. AC system are the least efficient when it's hottest outside at 3-8PM. SO the energy you save by not running it all afternoon is lost trying to remove all the heat and humidity during the hottest part of the day, rather than just cycling periodically all day long.

Besides, if properly sized in hot weather, it should take 3-4 hours to recover 3-5F.

IMHO it's better to let the unit run one long time to recover in order to reduce cycling losses. A/C units have to run 10 minutes before pressures stabilize and the unit can operate at maximum efficiency. When cycling on/off all day it won't hit the 10 minute run time unless it's really hot. This can be compounded by electricity prices that vary during the time of day, which vary from utility to utility.