“Couldn’t I just stop using it as much?”
Well, yes, this is a way to be more efficient, save energy, and consequently save money. But, it’s not a good solution. The fact of the matter is, we need air conditioning in Shalimar, FL. Not only does an effective cooling system help improve comfort, but it keeps you and your family healthy—which is particularly important if you have elderly members of the family or very young.
Since we still have a decent amount of summer left (let’s face it, we may be going into the New Year with temps still in the 80’s), it’s time to look at how instead of limiting use of our air conditioners, we can use it just as much, but more efficiently so.
Replace an Aging Air Conditioner
We’re going to start here, since the fact of the matter is, if you have an aging air conditioner—and by this we mean 10-15 years or older—even with the most diligent maintenance it simply cannot perform as efficiently as it did when you first got the system.
While this isn’t exactly the “best” time to replace your air conditioner as far as convenience is concerned, if your aging system has been causing you problems, it really may be the best choice. And upgrading your AC means you can start taking advantage of the advancements in cooling system technology.
Schedule Preventive Maintenance
Did you skip pre-summer maintenance? Maintenance is the only fool-proof way to ensure that your air conditioner is functioning as effectively and, more importantly, efficiently as it can. Maintenance allows our technicians to fully inspect your air conditioner.
At this time, we’ll make recommendations for repairs, adjust components that need it, and thoroughly clean the air conditioner inside and out. This helps it operate at peak performance.
Call for Repairs as Needed
As we approach the “official” end of summer, it’s time to think about how much work your air conditioner has gone through. Were you told during your maintenance session that your air conditioner needed a repair or two? Even if this repair need is minor, it’s essential that you get it taken care of. Ignoring repairs can result in a domino effect. This means skipping a repair for one component can lead to another component breaking down, and so on and so forth. You could very well end up with a completely broken down system as a result, just because you didn’t follow up on a “minor at the time” repair.
Other Efficiency Tips
There are some other smaller ways to improve AC efficiency if your cooling system does not fall into one of the above-mentioned categories. These methods include:
- Using Your Ceiling Fan: A fan does little to actually lower the temperature of the room. However, when used in combination with your air conditioner, it helps you feel cooler, and as a result you can turn the thermostat up a few degrees. This allows your air conditioner a little bit of a break, as it doesn’t have to work as hard to do its job.
- Check the Thermostat Location: Is your thermostat in a sunny spot in your home? Then the compressor might be turning on before it really needs to. Since shutting off and on is what uses up most of the energy when it comes to your AC, this can result in inefficient operation.
- Close Your Blinds: Perhaps you have the thermostat in the right spot, but if you keep your blinds open, your whole house can heat up much faster than it would otherwise, leading the compressor to turn on faster than you need it to.