It’s officially summertime, and that means we’ll all be using our air conditioning systems on a daily basis. Given that this time of the year is when our cooling systems are put under the most strain, it makes sense that you want your air conditioner to run as efficiently as possible so that it will cost you as little as possible to operate.
Have you found that your air conditioner isn’t reaching your temperature settings fast enough? Or perhaps it costs more than you think it should—or more than it did last year—to operate. Fortunately, there is something you can do to make your air conditioner work better. In fact, below we’ve covered 5 ways in which you can help it to work more efficiently and cost you less.
1. Raise the Temperature
We don’t mean make it so warm in your house that you’re uncomfortable—this would defeat the purpose of using your air conditioner! Rather, we mean, perhaps settle for a temperature setting a few degrees above what you usually set it too.
Many homeowners set their thermostats to 71 or 72 degrees, when in fact most people can be comfortable around 77-78 degrees throughout the day. Another factor to consider is that air conditioners struggle to meet temperature settings that are over 20 degrees below what the outside temperature is. So if you have yours set to 72 on a 95-degree day, you probably won’t find yourself satisfied by your cooling efforts.
2. Utilize Your Ceiling Fans
It’s true, ceiling fans do not lower the temperature of the room in which they’re installed. They do, however, help circulate the air already coming from your cooling system—distributing it evenly throughout the space.
Your ceiling fans do not use up nearly as much energy as your HVAC systems do to run, and utilizing them can allow you to set your thermostat a bit higher, so your AC system doesn’t have to work as hard to do its job—performing better and costing you less in the meantime.
3. Change Your Air Filter Regularly
Do you only have your air filter changed during annual maintenance? This could actually be detrimental to your HVAC systems. The fact is, your air filter is in place to protect the inside components of your HVAC system, and if it becomes too clogged it can reduce airflow and force your air conditioner to work too hard.
The general recommendation is to change the filter at least every 3 months during periods of use—however, you will want to up this to once a month if they’re the lowest quality air filters or if you have significant contaminants in your homes such as pet dander and cigarette smoke.
4. Keep the Air Conditioner Clean and Unobstructed
This means, first, ensuring that you schedule maintenance on a routine basis—once a year, or twice a year if you have a heat pump. During your maintenance appointment, our professionals thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust the components of your cooling system.
Throughout the year though, you could do your part to make sure the system is clean too—check that the outdoor unit is unobstructed. Obstructions may include lawn clippings, mulch, tree roots, leaves, dust, and other debris. Clean your indoor vents, too, and make sure nothing is blocking them off. This will ensure that your air conditioner can deliver the appropriate airflow and work as efficiently as it’s meant too.
5. Consider Upgrading an Aging System
Depending on how old your air conditioner is, it may be performing inefficiently just because it can no longer handle the stress, due to age. Even the most well-maintained system has a lifespan of 10-15 years—if yours is approaching this age and you’ve found yourself paying more and more for cooling costs, we advise speaking with one of our experts about a Peachtree City, GA air conditioner replacement.
To learn more about improving your air conditioner’s efficiency, and more about the services we provide, simply contact Premier Indoor Comfort Systems LLC today!