As the聽hotter聽months聽get closer, you may wonder how to keep your home cool and comfortable without聽your energy costs soaring. The secret lies in using your聽air conditioner聽more effectively. Follow these 12 simple聽recommendations听补苍诲听techniques聽to keep your聽HVAC system聽in optimal condition,听reduce聽energy consumption and save money.
1. Leave the Thermostat Alone
Constantly聽altering聽the thermostat makes your聽cooling system聽work harder,听raising聽energy consumption and causing excessive wear and tear. To聽boost聽efficiency, set the temperature at a comfortable level—preferably around 78 degrees F (25 degrees C)—when you’re聽inside the residence.聽Then, refrain from聽changing聽it. If you聽start to get hot,听remove聽a layer of clothing, spray water on your skin or turn on a fan to cool off without聽turning down聽the temperature.
2. Set the Temperature Back When You’re Away
For聽maximum聽savings, set the temperature 7-10 degrees聽higher than聽your聽standard聽setting for at least eight hours per day. To help you “set it and forget it,”聽it might be a good idea to consider聽setting up聽a聽programmable thermostat. This聽convenient聽upgrade allows you to聽set聽temperatures based on your聽everyday聽routines, automatically聽changing聽the temperature to create a comfortable home when you’re there and聽saving聽energy when you’re聽out.
3. Keep the Curtains Closed
Solar heat gain from direct sunlight聽makes your AC run longer聽than it聽really should. To聽reduce聽heat gain, close the curtains over your south- and west-facing windows聽in the afternoon. Window coverings with light-colored backings聽reflect sunlight the best.
4. Keep the Vents Open
Covered聽or closed air vents throw off your聽HVAC聽system’s supply/return air balance, decreasing efficiency and聽upping聽operating聽costs. To聽stop聽this,听always keep聽at least 80 percent of your supply registers open and聽ensure that聽no return vents are聽hindered聽by curtains, furniture or rugs.
5. Create Airflow with Fans
Utilizing聽fans聽in combination聽with your聽HVAC system聽circulates cool air聽more, making your home feel more comfortable while聽barely聽increasing energy consumption. Ceiling fans,听in particular, create a wind chill effect that makes the room feel about 4 degrees cooler,听allowing聽you to set the temperature higher without聽losing聽comfort.
6. Get Rid of Hot and Humid Air
Cooking and showering聽produce聽heat and聽humidity.聽Run聽your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans during these activities to聽lower聽your home’s cooling聽load.聽In addition,听ensure that聽your clothes dryer vents to the outdoors to聽stop聽hot, humid air from releasing into your聽residence.
7. Use a Dehumidifier
High聽humidity levels聽make your home feel聽cool but clammy, tempting you to聽lower聽the temperature. A聽dehumidifier聽removes聽unwanted聽moisture, making your home feel cooler and more comfortable while聽requiring聽a lot聽less electricity than聽using聽the air conditioner.
8. Install Your Outdoor AC Unit in the Shade
The outdoor unit’s location聽impacts聽its聽performance聽significantly. Installing it on your home’s north or east side聽protects聽it聽from the afternoon heat聽for more effective heat transfer. If the unit gets direct sunlight at the hottest聽hours聽of the day, consider planting a tree or聽getting聽a screen to shade it. Just聽make sure聽that any plant or structure you add doesn’t聽hinder聽airflow.
9. Save Your Chores for the Evening
Cooking, laundry and聽doing the dishes聽create聽indoor heat gain, making your聽HVAC system聽work harder.聽Doing these activities聽at night聽when temperatures聽are cooler聽reduces the cooling load during the hottest聽time聽of the day and saves energy.
10. Replace the Air Filter
A聽clogged聽filter聽restricts聽airflow and increases energy consumption, so聽switch it out聽on a regular basis聽to promote聽optimal聽performance.聽Many聽basic filters should be replaced every 30 to 90 days, but聽its best to follow聽the manufacturer’s recommendations for the聽ideal聽replacement schedule for your product.
11. Seal and Insulate the Ductwork
Leaky, uninsulated ducts聽waste聽significant amounts of energy, especially if they run through unconditioned聽spaces聽like聽the attic, crawl space or garage.聽Sealing and insulating your ductwork聽maintains聽system efficiency and聽reduces聽energy聽spending.
12. Schedule Preventative AC Maintenance
Scheduled聽tune-ups are聽crucial聽to keep your聽AC聽running聽properly.聽Use聽a certified聽professional聽to inspect, clean and service your system every spring. This聽precautionary聽measure extends your聽HVAC system's聽life span, reduces energy consumption, and allows the technician to聽find听补苍诲听fix聽potential issues before they become聽expensive聽problems.
Request Air Conditioning Service in the U.S
At 黑料社区 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing we pride ourselves on offering聽comprehensive聽AC services,听such as聽installation,听maintenance,听repair听补苍诲听replacement聽in the U.S. Our customers choose us again and again for our聽unrivaled聽knowledge听补苍诲听dedication聽to customer satisfaction. In fact, we offer a聽黑料社区聽Guarantee聽on every service we provide!聽Work with our friendly staff to聽keep your home cool, comfortable and energy efficient this summer.
