As the official end of summer draws near, it doesn’t mean a whole lot for those of us in Northwest Florida as far as temperatures are concerned. What it does mean though is that our Gulf Breeze air conditioning systems have been under a good deal of stress for the past few months, and will continue to endure for a few months still. That being said, efficiency can suffer—and so can your wallet.
This doesn’t have to be the case, however. There are ways to make your air conditioner cost less to run by improving its energy efficiency during the long periods of heat we go through. Keep reading for some of our top recommendations to save money with your air conditioner by using it as efficiently as possible.
Raise Your Thermostat
We understand that this may sound counterintuitive. After all, in our neck of the woods it is understandably tempting to push the thermostat down to the lowest setting, and many thermostats can be set as low as 60°–which we don’t recommend setting yours too.
Each degree that you raise your thermostat during the summer saves you energy. The less the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the slower the home interior gains heat. This means that setting your thermostat to 78°F (suggested by the U.S. Department of Energy) on a 90°F day is going to be far more efficient—not to mention effective at keeping you cool—than setting your thermostat to 68° or even 75°.
A good way to go about this, if you’re used to setting your thermostat pretty low, is ease into it by starting at a lower temperature and raising it by one degree each day until your household is used to the temperature.
Clean the Area Surrounding Your Outdoor Unit
The outdoor cabinet of your cooling system is called the condenser unit, which must be able to expel heat to the outdoors in order for your AC to work at its full efficiency. This means that if the area around your outdoor unit is surrounded by dirt, leaves, branches, or even lawn mulch, your air conditioner’s airflow may be impacted and the whole system will work less efficiently than it’s meant to.
Vacuum the Indoor Vent Covers
You might not realize it, but dust covering your vent covers can cost you pretty significantly in air conditioning efficiency. Take a look around your house and locate all of the room vent covers—many will be on the ceiling or down on the floor.
Ensure that they aren’t blocked, and then use a vacuum with a hose attachment in order to remove dust. You may be surprised to find just how dust these covers are—and when they’re cleaned off it can make a significant positive difference in your AC airflow, and therefore your cooling system’s performance.
Keep Heat-Producing Appliances Away from Thermostat
Your HVAC systems’ thermostat can pick up incorrect temperature readings, called “ghost readings.” This can happen due to exposure to direct sunlight, or even from exposure to heat-producing appliances. This means your air conditioner could run at the wrong time, when it’s not actually needed, wasting energy.
Even lamps and light fixtures. have been known to mess up the readings on thermostats, so be sure to be very careful about your thermostat placement. If you need help relocating a thermostat or determining if yours should be moved, we are happy to take a look!
Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. is the company to call for fast and reliable air conditioning services.
Contact us today!