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It’s hot and it looks like temps are going to continue staying on the upper end of the thermometer for awhile. Using your air conditioner effectively, balancing comfortable temperature with energy use and effectiveness can be daunting, especially for those still wondering what type of AC unit is best for their room (size vs. power) and how to reduce the bills. To help keep your bills and your energy consumption as low as possible, check out the 10 tips below:
Warmer At Night Is OK: During the night time hours you don’t require the same level of conscious cool. Try turning your AC down (so it is running less) during your sleep hours or an hour or two before bed.
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Use Window or Portable Units: If you aren’t into cooling your whole home, try using a portable unit to cool just the area you’ll be working in. They use up to 50% less energy than a larger central air unit would to cool off the same space.
Close Off Vents: The basement is traditionally the coolest room in the home, so try closing all the vents in the lower portion of your home. The cool air will slink down there naturally and by closing those vents, you’re forcing all the air up top first, cooling as it comes down.Service Your Unit: Some basic maintenance might be all your air conditioner needs, but most will greatly benefit from a good hosing out, especially if you’re plagued with pesky trees like Cottonwoods that drop seeds which stick to the filters and make the unit work 15% harder!
Check Your Ducts: Making sure the areas where your ducts run through parts of your home without air conditioning (like the attic) are properly insulated will keep the air coming in as cool as it can be. Paying for half cool air isn’t anyone’s idea of money well spent!
Rearrange Your Furniture: Furniture that obstructs air conditioning vents means you could be cooling the back of a chair or the bottom side of your sofa and although it might appreciate the thought, we’re pretty sure you’d rather have that chill instead. Although they make plastic pieces for your vents to help force air in the right direction, the easiest way is to just rearrange things for awhile!
Try 24 Degrees: 23 or 24 degrees is a good point for an air conditioner to run at its optimal performance level. Keep your thermostat away from high-energy appliances like TVs or computers, because the thermostat will pick up on their heat reading and run longer than necessary.
Lighting: Turning lights off can help reduce your heat, but paying attention to how much light you let in from open windows can also play a significant role. Although it might neurotic to open and close your windows everyday with the changing of the sun, it makes a huge difference in how much heat your bought air is competing against.Don’t Forget The Fan: We rely on air conditioners to keep things cool, but having the help of a few supplemental fans doesn’t hurt. Using them to circulate the cool air means you don’t need quite as much pumped into the room. They use less energy than your air conditioner unit, so having them around as backup is a great idea.
Do you have another tip to add to the pile? Let us know in the below comment box!
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