The cost of running your air conditioner all summer really adds up. But in our area, you can’t really do without it. If you can’t just stop using the AC, what can you do? Here are some tips on how to lower your electric bills by using your air conditioner as efficiently as possible this summer.
1: Use Your Ceiling Fans
Your body cools itself by transferring heat into the air around you. As long as the air temperature is lower than 98.6°F, each air molecule that bumps into your skin absorbs a bit of that heat. So if the air is moving, more molecules are bumping into you, and more heat is carried away from you. Your ceiling fan can help with this. Make sure it’s set to spin counterclockwise. This will push air downward. The breeze will lower your body temperature. The air in your home will be the same temperature, but you’ll feel cooler.
2: Use Windows and Doors Wisely
The first consideration here is making sure your windows and doors seal well, so that your conditioned air will stay inside where you can enjoy it. Doors that have a gap at the bottom can be modified with a draft stopper from the hardware store or a simple door snake. Cracks around window frames can be sealed up with foam weather stripping or caulk.
Next, when windows are in direct sunlight, their curtains or blinds should be kept closed to avoid heating your house with the greenhouse effect.
Finally, let the cool night air in. Throwing your windows wide when the temperature drops overnight and then shutting them tight to capture that cool air in the morning can make a big difference.
3: Adjust Your Thermostat
Now that you’re doing steps one and two, you’ll probably find that you’re just as comfortable with the thermostat set a bit higher. Experiment with raising it a couple of degrees at a time. You may be shocked at the difference this can make. Setting your thermostat just five degrees higher will result in significant savings over the course of the summer.
4: Program Your Thermostat
Save even more by programming your thermostat to keep your home about ten degrees warmer when nobody will be home. This will dramatically cut your energy usage, while still being a slight enough difference that your home will cool down quickly when you need it to.
While a programmable thermostat makes this easy, and you can set it to cool your home just in time for you to come home from work, you can do something similar with an old manual thermostat, too. You can either not raise the thermostat as high, saving a bit less money, or expect to be a little too warm for the first few minutes when you come home and adjust it.
5: Take Good Care of Your Air Conditioner
A well-cared-for air conditioner is much more efficient than a neglected one. Change your air filter every month during the heat of the summer, helping promote good airflow. Make sure you get your annual maintenance done, because it will boost your efficiency. And you suspect something is wrong, get AC repair in Marana, AZ right away. Many air conditioner problems like short cycling, refrigerant leaks, overheating motors, and more cause the AC unit to work harder and burn through more electricity.
Contact Picture Rocks Cooling, Heating & Plumbing today to schedule an appointment with our professionals.