Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, What is the most efficient way to run air conditioning?

Running the air conditioner during the hot summer months can cause the energy bills for your home to sky rocket. But it seems that the only alternative will be sweating profusely in the heat of summer. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can lower your expenses and save cash on your air conditioner or hvac.

Here are some of the things you can do to keep your bills low when using your air conditioner and enjoy an efficient summer.

Quit cooling the entire neighborhood

If your home is not built recently, it may have older insulation features that are not quite as effective. This can mean that the cold air from inside your home is getting outside through worn doors and window seals, poorly insulated attics, and other holes in the home.

To see how efficient the insulation in your home is you may consider signing up for an audit with a utility provider. A top-notch home energy rater can help you locate all the leaks in the home and show you how to improve the efficiency of your home.

If you would rather not go through the audit yourself, check the doors and windows yourself. When your air conditioner is running, check the outside of doors and windows. If you feel cool air is escaping this is where some insulation needs to be applied.

Make sure your thermostat is on the right wall

One of the most important things to check is that your thermostat is on the right wall. If your thermostat is on the wall across from a large window or right next to a window it may see a lot of heat and this will mean your air conditioner is flicking on very few minutes. This will greatly increase the costs of your energy bills spent on cooling your home.

Close the blinds

A window letting in the heat up the interior of your home. This can add increased strain on your air conditioner. For best results, consider dropping the blinds and closing the curtains to ward off some solar heat during the heat of the day. This can also keep the cool air inside from being lost.

Use a fan

Sometimes the best way to cool the home will be with a properly situated fan. You don’t always have to drop the thermostat way down to feel cooler, setting up a fan will help to keep the air circulating and this is often just as good. A good fan will make the room feel 10 degrees cooler and only use about 10% of the energy used by an air conditioner.

Don’t be afraid to start the cooling over

Some people think that it will be cheaper to just let the air conditioner run all day so that it will not have to cool the house again when you get back. But this is erroneous thinking. The best option is to shut the air conditioner off when you leave the house and turn it back on when you get back.

Setting low is a no-go

You will want to set your thermostat to the highest setting with which you will be comfortable if you hope to save money. Just the smallest reduction temperature can cost you a small fortune.

You can save a full 10% of your annual energy costs by adjusting your thermostat temperature by 10 to 15 degrees for a mere hours a day. Furthermore, the temperature 78°F is a pretty balmy climate by any one’s standards and according to the US Department of Energy this is the highest recommended indoor temperature for energy efficiency.

Michael Hope

Michael Hope is the founder of M&K Heating and Cooling Services. Michael’s experience has always been in the mechanical fields. In 1991, Michael moved to Nevada to work at the Nevada Test Site in the drilling operations for the nuclear testing facilities. After the Nuclear test treaty was signed in 1992, Michael retrained in the HVAC/R field and has been doing it since. Michael is currently NATE (North American Technical Excellence) certified. This is the only nationally recognized certification in the HVAC field.