While homeowners want to keep their houses cool and comfortable, they don’t want to spend colossal amounts of money on air conditioning. What if I told you there are tricks on how to use the air conditioner cheaply without compromising on the quality of air in the house?
Here are expert tips given by air conditioning repair professionals on how to use the air conditioner economically:
Stop cooling the outside
If you have a new home, the chances are that you haven’t properly sealed the windows, doors, attic, and other areas where the air can leak through.
You can do the inspection yourself or hire a local contractor. The professional will inspect the entire house for any leaks and recommend the best way to make the house more energy-efficient.
You can also undertake a mini-audit by yourself. Stand outside and run your hand along with the doors and windows. Are you being hit by cold air as its escaping from the house? If you are, it’s time to caulk the windows and add some insulation around the doors.
Turn off the air conditioner at night
The night air is cooler, so you don’t have much use for the air conditioner. When you are at home in the evening, turn down the air conditioner. If the situation allows it, completely turn it off.
If there are no critters that can get into the house, consider opening the windows and doors to allow a cool breeze into the house.
Upgrade your thermostat
Do you have a thermostat with a lever that you have to move behind the temperature scale? That is an old unit, and you should replace it as soon as possible and invest in a digital thermostat.
The digital thermostat comes with a day and night programming that significantly cuts back on cooling when you have no use for it. For example, during the day when there is no one at home or night when you are sleeping, it automatically cuts back on the energy needs which saves you money.
Turn off heat-producing appliances
The computer, printer, lights, and television generate bucket loads of heat that make the air conditioner work harder than it should. To save on energy and run your appliance economically, turn off the appliances that you aren’t using.
Switch off the lights in the bedroom when you are all in the sitting room.
When watching the television, turn off the computers, printers, and other appliances you aren’t currently using.
If you have a backyard, consider making your food on the BBQ outside. This not only eliminates a lot of heat from inside the house, but it also gets rid of plenty of smells.
Use the right-sized air conditioner
When you are using an air conditioner of the wrong size, you end up spending a lot of unnecessary amounts of money on home cooling. For example, when the appliance is too small, it works too hard, which sees it consume a lot of heat which isn’t economical at all.
On the other hand, if the air conditioner is too large, it tends to have plenty of short and heating cycles that are energy draining.
Before the cooling season begins, hire a professional to undertake heating and cooling load calculations and help you determine whether you are using the air conditioner of the right size.
If the appliance is too big or small, replace it immediately. Of course, if you have the budget for it.
Make use of blinds
Blinds, drapes, curtains, awnings, or whatever name you want to call them, block the sun rays from getting into the house and raising the temperature. Consider investing in plantation shutters, Venetian blinds, roller blinds, lined curtains or any other materials that will block the sun.
You also should consider planting trees, shrubs, and vines around the house.
Keep the air conditioner clean
A dirty air conditioner is not only ugly to look at, but it also consumes a lot of energy. The dirty appliance also keeps on breaking down, and you have to hire AC repair services Vienna VA providers to fix the never-ending problems.
To keep the appliance running efficiently and economically, keep it clean.
