Air Conditioner Misconceptions That May End Up Costing You
Cooling your home this summer requires more than just pumping cold air from your air conditioner. In fact, you might actually hurt your AC by forcing it to work harder than it needs to. By avoiding some of these misconceptions, you can increase your air conditioner energy efficiency.
The first issue many homeowners have with efficiency is the thought that lowering your thermostat will cool your home faster. Your air conditioner will continue to run at the same speed to reach that temperature. In reality, you can set your thermostat higher and achieve comfort quicker.
When you are not home, you may think that you can turn off your air conditioner until you get back. However, as your home gets warmer and warmer throughout the day, that just means your AC needs to work that much more to bring the temperature down. You can set the thermostat to a higher temperature during the day, and your target temperature will be easier to reach later.
Another belief is that having a fan on will keep a room cooler. The fact is that fans cool people, and not rooms. Fans move air throughout the room, but they will not affect the air temperature. Ceiling fans also have no effect in making your AC run more efficiently. Again, fans only circulate the air, they do not cool it.
Bigger does not always mean better. If you spring for the largest unit available, you find it will do more harm than good for a more modest space. A unit that is too big for the space will constantly turn on and off the compressor, which will wear out and shorten the lifespan of the unit.
It will also do no good to let your air conditioner wear out until it cannot operate anymore. You might be afraid of spending the money on a new system, but the longer you hold off, the more money is being wasted by an inefficient unit.
You can ensure that your air conditioner works as intended by investing in annual maintenance. A checkup once a year means you can identify a small problem before it becomes an emergency. Small repairs are less expensive than big replacements.
Understanding all the ins and outs of your air conditioner isn’t necessary, but if you know the small things that help boost efficiency, then you can keep that AC running longer. For more information on improving your air conditioners energy efficiency, call the professionals at Sunrise Heating and Plumbing today at (616) 293-9326. We pride ourselves on providing nothing but exceptional customer service.