Upgrading your air conditioner is the best way to increase the unit’s efficiency, but there are other things you can do that won’t cost you anything to make it work better. So, if you want your air conditioner to last an extra year, here are some of our best tips and tricks for getting the most out of your AC.
About 12% of your home’s annual energy costs could come from your air conditioner, and it could be responsible for as much as 70% of your summer energy costs. Overall, your home’s HVAC system uses the most energy. If you are like most homeowners, you are probably looking for ways to save money and make your air conditioner work better. Though, this might be easier to say than to do.
Read on to find out how to improve your air conditioner efficiency and save money for a year.
Keep the Outdoor Unit Clean
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is not cleaning up the area around the outdoor condenser unit. Even if you don’t store anything near your outdoor AC unit, things like leaves can still land around it. When this happens, your air conditioner’s efficiency goes down by a lot. It could even cause your air conditioner to break down in the future. So, clean the area around your unit before you do anything else.
Keep the Indoor Vents Clean
Even though it’s pretty clear that dust can make your AC less effective, many people forget to clean the vents inside their homes. When the air conditioner is set up, people often forget it’s there. Of course, when the air conditioner stops working right, homeowners often find a lot of dust in the house. Keeping dust and dirt out of your AC unit is a natural way to make it last longer.
Properly Set-up the Thermostat
If a homeowner can’t afford to upgrade their air conditioner, they can save money by changing the temperature on their thermostat. In the winter, it helps to turn the thermostat down a bit, and in the summer, it helps to turn it up a bit. If you have a modern thermostat with programmable features, this is easy to do.
Also, keep warm objects away from your thermostat. If you put something warm near your thermostat, it could make your air conditioner work harder than it needs to. Don’t forget that the thermostat is the part of your heating and cooling system that decides if you need AC or heat. So, make sure your thermostat can always get the correct temperature.
Optimized your Curtains
Air conditioning hasn’t always been around to make life easier. Luckily, there are some simple tips from back then that you can still use today to keep your air conditioning costs low.
On very hot days, it’s always best to keep those curtains closed. If you close your curtains, some of the sun’s warm rays won’t be able to get into your home. Even though your air conditioning will still have to work to some degree (no pun intended), closing the curtains during the day will save you a little money on your bill.
When Should You Get a New Air Conditioner?
We may have given you some great tips today on how to increase your air conditioner efficiency. Still, if your air conditioner is too old, it could cost you more than you want to spend. Sometimes it’s better to buy a new central air conditioners because it will save you a lot more money over time. The Department of Energy says that the average air conditioner in the United States will last between 15 and 20 years.
Interesting Related Article: “Benefits of Regular Maintenance of Air Conditioners“