The cooling season is right around the corner, and when you start using your air conditioner this spring and summer, you want to do so efficiently, right? After all, while it is of course vital to have proper air conditioning in the Lubbock area, nobody wants to pay an arm and a leg to stay comfortable in their own home.
This is one of the reasons maintenance is so important. Air conditioner maintenance helps your AC system perform as efficiently and effectively as possible, for as long as possible. But maintenance isn’t the only way to help your air conditioner cool your home better. Read on to learn some other methods you can take too.
Raise the Temperature
Okay, we get it. This seems like strange advice to be giving in the contest of air conditioning—but please bear with us. We do not expect you to keep your home so hot that it’s uncomfortable. However, you may be turning your thermostat settings down much lower than you actually need to, and as a result, you may be using your air conditioner inefficiently and paying more to do so.
Homeowners sometimes turn their thermostats down as low as 72°F during the warmer months. The reality is, most people are perfectly comfortable at about 78°F during the day. Sometimes people turn it down lower thinking it will help cool the home faster, but this simply isn’t the case.
You’ll actually save energy and subsequently save money by raising the temperature on your thermostat instead of wasting unnecessary energy.
Use Your Ceiling Fans
Okay, so, of course ceiling fans cannot lower the temperature of the rooms they’re in. After all, all ceiling fans do is distribute air differently. But that’s all they have to do. They help cool you off by helping sweat evaporate off of your skin.
But with the way they distribute air, they can help your AC system work more efficiently. They’ll help you feel cooler, faster, and as a result you can raise the temperature on your AC thermostat like we mentioned above. Therefore you’ll be using the system more efficiently.
Change Your Air Filters Regularly
The air filters that come standard with your HVAC systems are in place to protect the HVAC systems themselves. There is a fairly common misconception that they’re in place to protect your indoor air quality, but this simply isn’t the case.
When these air filters get too clogged up, they restrict airflow. When airflow is restricted, your air conditioner (and your heater) has to run longer to try to reach the desired temperature setting on your thermostat. This means they’re working—you guessed it—inefficiently.
Keep the System Clean
The outdoor unit of your air conditioner is an area where it’s fairly easy for excessive dirt and debris to buildup. This debris can include lawn mulch, clippings, tree branches, leaves, etc. This restricts airflow, and as we alluded to above that can contribute to inefficient AC use.
Contact JD’s Prompt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning for quality air conditioning services in Lubbock, TX and beyond.