7 Simple Ways to Use Your Air Conditioner More Efficiently

Published On: May 31, 2020|Categories: Home Maintenance, Home Owners, How-To|Tags: air conditioner, air conditioner maintenance, air conditioning, Around The Home, Home Maintenance, home repair, Tips|

Ironically, while air conditioners can shorten those long summer days their efficiency tends to drops the hotter it gets outside. But if having your AC blow warm air wasn’t frustrating enough consider what your electricity bill is going to look like if you’re running your air conditioner non-stop. This article lists some useful tips which will help your AC run more efficiently, reduce your carbon footprint, and save on your energy bills at the same time.

1. Insulate your exposed ductwork

Poorly insulated ductwork is the reason for many leaks. You can increase the amount of cool air in a room by keeping it well isolated while it travels to its destination. Cover any visible leak with UL 181-rated duct-sealing tape and make sure your trusted HVAC technician checks your ductwork during his scheduled maintenance visits.

2. Close your curtains

Sure, leaving your curtains open can reduce your lighting costs, but it also gives sunlight a free rein to heat the air in your room. Unless your windows aren’t directly facing the sun or it’s a cloudy day, you should keep your curtains closed during the day. Additionally, you could also try opening the blinds or curtains in the evening, so that heat can leave more easily through your windows.

3. Incorporate your fans into your cooling system

Fans are a simple but efficient way to move conditioned air through a house. Using fans, specially counterclockwise ceiling fans, can not only reduce the burden on your air conditioner, but also give you the flexibility to re-direct the flow of cool air to any area of your house.

4. Reduce the amount of hot air in your home

Blowing cool air into your home is just one part of the equation because you also need a method to get rid of the hot air that builds inside. Use exhaust fans whenever you’re cooking or smoking to expel hot air out of the house. If you don’t have an exhaust fan you could try using a floor fan as a substitute while you’re cooking.

5. Turn your dehumidifier on

Heat itself isn’t as uncomfortable as humidity. If you don’t want to spend your afternoons feeling sticky and sweating like a pig you might, using a dehumidifier which can help you feel comfortable again without overstraining your air conditioner. Better yet, using a dehumidifier could even help you set your air conditioner above 78 degrees if you combine it with fans.

6. Close every empty room

Cool air is a limited resource which is best protected by closing every room you’re not using. Do a round around your home and see where conditioned air isn’t needed. If you own a central air system, make sure that every vent ending in an unoccupied room is sealed. Furthermore, close closet doors, the kitchen, or any other unused nearby areas which could be sucking up the cold air.

7. Keep your air conditioner under the shade

Now that you’ve conditioned the interior of your home, it’s important that you remember to do the same with your yard. After all, your outside unit is sucking up the air from your backyard. If possible, your AC should be located on the north side of your home, since this one is the best protected from the heating effects of the sun rays. Furthermore, doing a little landscaping around your AC and planting a few trees to give it shade will make its job a lot easier in the long run.

Air conditioners can have a hard time cooling your house during the hotter months of the years. However, by following these tips to the letter you can save yourself hundreds of dollars from your utility bills. Just make sure you don’t forget to give annual maintenance to your air cooling system and you’ll be able to enjoy many cool days in the coming years!

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