One of the most pleasurable human comforts ever invented that you may have in your house is an air conditioner. When the temperature outside becomes excessively hot, you’ll need it to keep cool and comfortable inside your house. But is there a way to use an air conditioner at its optimal efficiency? Maybe the question that how can I improve energy efficiency of my AC brought you here? Well, that’s what we will be covering in this article!
So without any more waiting let’s just dive into the ocean of efficient air conditioner usage tips:
1. Choose the right size:
First and foremost, you need to ensure that you are buying the right size of air conditioner. Everything starts here since you won’t get the most out of your air conditioner if you’re using the wrong size.
In case you are using an air conditioner that is too big, it will have short cooling cycles and will constantly turn on and off. And you don’t want that to happen because the unit will likely be wasting a lot of energy.
If the unit is undersized for your home, it will not effectively cool the house and will continue to overwork and consume a lot of energy in this case too.
Let a professional AC technician inspect your house for its size and the type of insulation it has, in order to recommend the most efficient AC unit for your house that is energy efficient too.
2. Cleaning of AC’s surroundings:
You must also ensure the cleaning of your AC’s surroundings. Air has an easier time coming in if the air flow passage is kept free, and the A/C unit doesn’t have to work as hard. Plants, excess bushes and garbage surround the AC units during winter, you need to make sure that they are cleared every once in a while to keep the efficiency of your AC at its maximum.
The science behind the AC efficiency is simple, if it doesn’t have to work hard to cool your house, it will consume less energy.
3. Check the filters:
This one is important too, make it a habit to check the filters of your air conditioner to keep it working at maximum efficiency. It’s critical to maintain the air ducts clear of dust and debris so that they may flow air freely. If they are not cleaned timely, the dust can accumulate to the point that it blocks the air conditioner vents.
If you check and clear the filter, wheel assembly and fan motor often, this will also save you from spending hefty amounts on heavy repairs. If there is any replacement needed, do it timely to save yourself from paying bigger repair costs in future.
This is one of the simplest strategies to ensure that your air conditioner is using as little electricity as possible and working at its prime efficiency.
4. Consistent Thermostat temperature:
Many industry experts advise keeping the thermostat set at a fixed and specific temperature. For example, if the thermostat is set at 78 degrees, you should leave it there throughout the summer.
Once you set the thermostat temperature at 78, stick with it and don’t turn it up or down. As a consequence, you’ll have more consistent relative cooling throughout your home, save energy by not overworking your air conditioner, and prevent worrying about the thermostat or unexpectedly high monthly electricity costs.
5. Keep the windows covered:
Blinds or curtains should be used to cover the windows in your house. Allowing sunlight to enter your home via the windows can result in a rapid rise in interior temperature, making your AC overwork itself. Open the drapes, blinds, or curtains in the evening to enable heat to escape via the windows for maximum cooling.
Many people are unaware of how much cool air is wasted during the summer, because of the sunshine. Make it a habit to keep the curtains drawn specially during summer, this will certainly help you in preserving the cool air indoor and ultimately not pushing your AC to overwork.
6. Hire a professional for service:
At least once a year you should hire a professional to check your air conditioning unit. Don’t pick just any technician, if you want to get the most out of the contractor; make sure the technician you select has a lot of expertise and understanding of the air conditioning units. The last thing you want to do is choose a low-cost contractor that fails to examine and tune up your air conditioner properly.
During the tune-up, the AC technician will examine all sections of the air conditioner and fix any problems that may exist.
7. Use fan:
When you have fans going, you may be able to set your air conditioner to a warmer setting. The reason is behind the mechanism of how fans work, regardless of the type and size; fans circulate the air within the room and create a breeze effect during summer days.
When you are using fan, you can afford to keep the AC at higher temperature, which will keep the AC working efficiently for a longer period of time.
8. Use Dehumidifier:
Warm temperatures will seem much warmer due to the presence of humidity. A dehumidifier is the tool to get then if you don’t have one already.
When you use your dehumidifier along with floor and ceiling fans, you may discover that you can set your AC to a warmer temperature or even use it less. This will certainly increase the efficiency of your air conditioning unit putting less strain on it due to better indoor humidity.
Conclusion:
The guide to using air conditioner efficiently is simple: you need to put less pressure on your AC unit and keep it clean. The harder it works, the less will be its efficiency.
We hope that above guide on efficient AC usage was helpful for you and you will make the most out your air conditioner after learning the facts and science behind it.
