7 Ways to Improve Air Conditioning Efficiency
Introduction
Summer season and high air conditioning bills are almost synonymous. There are few chief ways in which you can increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system. Read this short guide to know how to lower your electric bills from air conditioning.
7 Ways to Get the Best Air Conditioning
There is a common misconception that air conditioning systems consume a lot of electricity to give you comfort. But this is completely wrong since there are many ways you can save money on your air conditioning. Many offices and homes have high air conditioning bills because they are putting too much pressure on the system. There are 7 main ways in which you increase the efficiency of your system and they are as follows:
1. Do Not Keep Hot Items Near the Thermostat
Many people do not know that Thermostat is the main element that decides the temperature of the air conditioning. It predicts the average temperature of the room and instructs the system to run at a certain power. The most common mistake that people do that increases their bills is they keep hot things near their thermostat.
Thus if you keep an oven or table lamp near the thermostat, it will get the wrong temperature readings. It will lower the temperature more than necessary and that will consume more electricity. Moreover, any air con technician knows the best place to install the thermostat to get the highest efficiency. So if you use a strategic place to keep your thermostat, it will run at an ideal temperature.
2. Repair All the Air Leaks in Your Home
Every person knows to keep the windows and doors closed when the cooling system is on. Few people know that if they repair all the leaks in their house, then it will increase the cooling efficiency. So hot air will come inside your room if there is any small hole or air leak. Since it is a continuous process, your air conditioning will have to run for a longer time.
Thus you should close all the leaks and also check the electrical and cable wires outlets. Often, the technician does a rush job and leaves some space around the unnoticeable cable wires. These small leaks can put a lot of pressure on your cooling unit. Thus seal all the holes and leaks to increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system.
3. Regularly Clean Indoor Vents and Outlets
Most people focus on cleaning the cooling unit and forget about the indoor vents. If you have dirty air vents then it will take more time to cool your room. So you should check if there is any debrison the air vents. The best way to clean them is to use a vacuum cleaner once in a while. It will suck up all the dirt and keep the vents spotless.
If you have a cat or dog then there will be a lot of hair and fur lying around. There is a high chance the hair particles will enter the indoor vents and will clog them. So people who have pets need to check the air filters for blockage. If they find that the air filter is very dirty, they should change it to get the best efficiency.
4. The External Condenser Unit Should be Clean
So if you think that cleaning the inside will do the job then you are completely wrong. You should also check the external condenser unit for any debris and blockage. It is kept outside so it accumulates dust and other fragments which affect its efficiency. Thus if any dust particles enter the external condenser system, then it can cause the entire unit to malfunction.
Thus it will put a lot of extra pressure on the cooling unit and will increase your electricity bills. So you should keep the external condenser unit clean from all dust particles. You can also cover up the external condenser to protect it from direct sunlight.
5. Change the Thermostat Temperature Once a While
Many people are unaware of this special trick to improve the efficiency of your cooling system. If you increase the temperature once a while in the summer, it will help you in saving energy and money. During the winter you should lower it sometimes to have the same effect.
There are many programmable thermostats available that can do the predictions on their own. So if you get one of them, then you will not have to change it manually. The thermostat will change the temperature if there is any chance to save energy. Thus it will become a permanent way to have the best air conditioning system.
6. Use Curtains on Windows
Most people think that keeping the windows closed is enough but you should also use curtains. If there are no curtains on the windows then heat will come in from outside. You will not notice the change because it will happen very slowly. But your thermostat will be able to spot the difference and will run on more power.
If you cover up the windows and any glass panel, then it will block the extreme heat. Thus it will have a major cooling effect in your room and your air conditioning will run much more efficiently.
7. Clean the Cooling Coil Drain
Every air conditioning has an indoor cooling coil with a drain attached to it. The drain runs to the outside and sometimes it can get blocked by dust particles. Thus if this coil drain becomes choked, it will cause your cooling unit to consume much more power than needed.
So you should check the drain frequently to keep it clean. You can use chlorine to keep the pipe clean for the entire summer without any further blockage. You should check if the drain pipe does not get buried inside the ground which will affect the water output.
Conclusion
Everyone wants to spend a cool summer without spending much on air conditioning bills but very few know how to do it. If you can follow the steps mentioned above, then you will get the best efficiency from your air conditioning system.