When summer is underway, it’s expected that your electricity bill might spike up. This fact comes from the need to combat the hot weather. Your air conditioner will have to run more, time-wise, as well as older, temperature-wise, to meet optimal comfort in your home. If you aren’t careful enough, efficiency might be compromised in exchange for comfort.
While expected as a reality, this doesn’t always have to be the case. You can still make good use of your air conditioners to beat the heat without being inefficient. This entails preparing your air conditioners to perform well during that time when they’re most expected to deliver.
With that in mind, here’s a run-down on how you can make your air conditioning unit more cost-efficient during the hot weather:
- Call For Professional Maintenance
Never underestimate the power of professional maintenance from experts like Dowd Heat & Air! It’s an utterly important part of improving your air conditioner’s efficiency. The more well-maintained your HVAC system is, the better it becomes, performance- and efficiency-wise.
Generally, a good rule of thumb is to call for professional maintenance at least twice a year. The professionals will give your air conditioners a deep clean, and fix whatever needs to be repaired. This allows your air conditioner to be at its best and most efficient condition, ready for all the work it has to do come summer.
- Consider Using A Dehumidifier
Your air conditioning can run well on its own. But, if you really want to be able to maximize its efficiency, supporting it with a dehumidifier can do the trick.
During the summer season, humidity in the air may rise above 50%. When this happens, it’s a telling sign that there’s too much ambient moisture in the air to actually let the sweat evaporate in your skin. This may leave you feeling even hotter than it really is. It’s as uncomfortable as it’s also unhealthy.
While air conditioners can remove some moisture off the air, it can’t be as efficient at that task as you wish it’d be, given the fact that this function isn’t its main purpose. This is where supporting your air conditioner with a whole house dehumidifier works.
It keeps your home in a comfortable setting. Not only will it make the air healthier, but it also relieves a lot of stress from your air conditioner from working harder than it should. Because of this, you may just be able to save money on your electricity bill while reducing the risk of a serious cooling system breakdown.
- Turn Off Your Air Conditioner At Night
It may be hot during daytime, but, at night, the summer breeze can be cool. If it’s safe enough to keep your windows open at night, give your air conditioners. You don’t need to keep them running the whole night when the natural wind is cool enough.
When your air conditioners are turned off at night, you’re doing them a huge favor, as well as your bills. You won’t have to be concerned about possibly overworking your air conditioner by keeping it on 24/7.
- Clear The Area Around Your Outdoor Condenser
Have you given the outdoor area surrounding your HVAC system’s a good clean? Any clog or obstacle in your outside condenser unit can significantly reduce its efficiency. As you clean your home’s exterior, check the whole area for blockages.
While you’re at it, don’t forget the main air conditioning unit, too. If your unit is situated such that you’re hiding it, be sure it isn’t in a fully enclosed structure. Moreover, avoid placing anything on top as well.
- Shut Out The Sun
When the sun is too strong during the day, it also helps to bring in some shade in your home. The more windows you have, the more you’ll also have to be particular about the shade you’re providing. You can do this with curtains or with blinds, whichever you have at home.
If you allow the sun to penetrate your home fully in the day, the heat it brings will fight with the cold air the air conditioner is supposed to bring. In effect, your air conditioner will have to work more to keep up with the heat. A simple solution would always be to bring in some shade in your home during those hours when the sun is just too overbearing.
Conclusion
When you come to think of it, the unsung hero of summer is your home air conditioning system. Summer has always been a nice season, but depending on where you’re from, it can also be too hot and unbearable. To stay comfortable at home, your air conditioner has to be at its most efficient. The cool air it brings is something you can truly enjoy, but it’s not cool at all when your electricity bill starts to rise. With the tips above, you can hopefully avoid that unpleasant situation by being able to enjoy your air conditioner’s powers without causing a major blow to your budget.
