We all try to not use the air conditioner as much as possible, however when temperatures start to rise and our comfort is sacrificed, air conditioning becomes a must. Stay comfortable and save money with these handy energy saving tips!
Minimize Output at Night: At night time, you won’t require the same level of cooling. Try reducing the performance required during your slumber, or utilize “sleep mode” which lowers the overall output with a timer.
Maintain Your Unit: Servicing your air conditioner is essential. Most will benefit from a good flushing of the hoses, especially if you are surrounded with certain trees like Cottonwoods, which drop seeds that stick to the filters, making your air conditioning unit work much harder!
Rearrange Your Furniture: Seems simple, but it happens. Make sure your furniture isn’t covering your air conditioning vents! Although your couch might be happy with this arrangement, it will leave you roasting instead. Or if furniture is too hard to move around, you can buy little plastic pieces for your vents that help direct the cool air.
Shade & Lighting: Turning off the lights will help reduce the heat in your home. Sufficiently shading your house from external light during the day will also play a major role in reducing the amount of heat gathering. Although it may seem a little overboard, opening and closing your windows every day by following the suns daily patterns, it makes a massive difference in how much heat your air conditioning unit is competing against to try and keep you comfortable.
Leave It Running When You’re Away: While not at home, try setting your air conditioning unit to an energy saving temperature (Usually around 23C) and make sure the windows and curtains are closed. Although it will be warmer than expected when you come home, the blinds will keep the sun out and allow existing cooler temperatures to stay that way for a longer period, meaning the heat won’t be so intense, giving your air conditioning unit a head start, instead of working overtime when bringing the temperature back down.
Use the Fan: Most of us rely on air conditioners to keep our homes cool, but having the help of a few portable or ceiling fans won’t hurt. Using these fans to help circulate the cool air around means your air conditioner won’t need to pump as much into the room. Most us less energy than an air conditioner unit, so having at your disposal can work a treat when you want to use less of your AC.
If you’re still considering an air conditioning installation then be sure to check out this article, providing you some handy tips before committing to a purchase!