Ways to Improve AC Efficiency
Your air conditioner is perhaps one of the biggest energy sinks in your home. The costs of keeping your home cool are likely to only increase over time, so squeezing every bit of efficiency out of your unit is essential to keeping costs down. Here are the tricks and techniques provided by specialists from Adams AC that you can use to maximize AC efficiency and help cut down on energy costs:
Clean Around Outdoor Unit
Over time, debris such as dirt and leaves will inevitably start to clutter around the outdoor condenser unit. This clutter can block the intakes and make your unit work harder when pulling in air. Going around the unit and clearing the debris improves the energy efficiency of your unit.
Keep Thermostat Clear of Appliances
Your thermostat can’t tell the difference between heat generated by an appliance or heat caused by the outside air. If you have something like a washing machine, dryer, or other heat generating appliance near the thermostat it may cause it to read a few degrees warmer than it actually is in your house. This not only makes it hard to remain comfortable but also wastes energy as your AC attempts to cool something that does not need to be cooled.
As a corollary to this, generally, avoid running hot appliances during the daylight hours. Something like your oven can produce a lot of heat and your air conditioner has to cancel that heat out in addition to the incoming heat from the sun.
Adjust the Temperature of Your Thermostat
Turn the thermostat down a few degrees in winter or up a few degrees in summer. The lower the difference between the desired temperature and the outside temperature, the less effort your AC has to put into cooling the home. Putting the thermostat lower does not increase the speed at which your house is cooled and makes no difference in how cool your home will become – the AC will cool the air until your home reaches the desired temperature.
This also means adjusting your thermostat when you’re not home. A smart thermostat can help with this by adjusting the temperature when you are not around so your AC is not wasting energy during times when nobody is around.
Insulate Your Ductwork
Make sure that the ducts for your air conditioner are properly insulated as they run throughout your house. If they run through unconditioned areas of the home (such as the attic) then keeping the ducts insulated will help prevent loss of cooled air into areas that do not need it. This, in turn, reduces the workload on your air conditioning unit and helps improve energy efficiency.
Close Curtains and Blinds
A lot of heat comes through the windows, so keeping curtains and blinds up during the warmest parts of the day can help keep the heat out. By closing off these areas you can reduce the amount of heat entering the home and thus reduce the levels of heat buildup. This leads to less work for your air conditioner and lower power bills. You should also make sure that the house in general is properly sealed to protect against leaks that may allow cool air out and hot air in.
Take Care of Your Unit, Plug the Leaks
Ultimately, maintaining the efficiency of your air conditioner involves taking care of your unit and plugging the leaks. Keeping your home properly sealed, controlling how much light goes in and out, performing routine maintenance, and minimizing heat production in your home all go a long way towards keeping your air conditioner working perfectly and avoiding sky-high power bills.
