Air conditioners use most electricity among all household appliances after water heaters. It’s too difficult to live in a house without an air conditioner in summers. The more cooling it has to produce, the more electricity it consumes. It will use minimum energy if you are using it efficiently. Here I have shared how you can get maximum cooling from an air conditioner with least use of electricity.
Clean Condenser Unit
The outdoor unit is most responsible for the cooling you get indoors. It’s important that it must always be at its best for faster cooling. Make sure it keeps getting the necessary service and cleaning every few weeks. Change its filter after every two months, depending on its model and use. If you feel that even cleaning is not getting the results you were expecting, it could mean that an air conditioner repair is required. Acquire services of a professional for installation and repair to ensure everything works fine.
Keep the Unit in Shade
The unit that produces cooling must also be cool to do that. If you have put it in hot day sunlight, it will consume more energy to produce cooling. You might have noticed that AC works slower when the temperature is high. It’s not just because the roof and walls of your house are hot, it also means that AC is having trouble in cooling. You can make a significant difference in its performance by keeping the outdoor unit in an open but cooler environment where it is under shade.
Get a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a necessity with today’s cooling system, especially considering electricity prices. It will help you control the temperature of your house and save on unnecessary cooling or heating. You can set temperature for different times of the day, and it will automatically increase or decrease cooling according to your needs. You also won’t have to keep using the dial.
Fix Fins of the AC Yourself
Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft-bristle brush to clean the fins. They are fragile and easily get damaged so you should manage the pressure accordingly. Furthermore, use a dinner knife to align bent fins. Don’t push it any more than ½ inches and apply a gentle pressure to fix bent or crushed fins. You might have to unscrew a metal box to access them. It’s a short and easy process, and you should try to do it yourself instead of calling a professional for such a little task. This will improve the performance of the unit.
Turn Off Heat Producing Appliances
Keep all heat-producing appliances turned off during the day when it’s hot. These appliances will increase the job of the air conditioner and also keep thermostat confused. Even if you have to use them, make sure they are nowhere near the thermostat. Lamps and other lights warm the room so keep them off if not necessary. Furthermore, don’t use dryers and oven. Dryers will draw warm air into the house and ovens emit warm air. This is a reason why many people do their household chores at night during summers.
Keep Curtains Closed
Sunlight brings heat into your house. Mild evening sunlight does no harm, but it won’t be appreciated in the day time. You can keep the sunlight out simply by closing blinds and curtains on your doors and windows. Even the sunlight isn’t directly coming inside your house, closing the curtains will block outside heat from getting in. Turning off the lights and closing the blinds might make your home a little dark, but you will notice a clear difference in temperature.
Author:
Irum Butt is a perfectionist and a full time blogger with home improvement as her favorite niche. She loves to keep her home perfectly maintained and shares her knowledge with the world through her blog.
