Tips To Making Your Houston AC Work More Efficiently
When temperatures go up, your air conditioner has to work harder, and this can make its efficiency drop dramatically. Here are some steps that you can take that can lessen the burden on the air conditioner in your home and help it to run with more efficiency while it saves energy and reduces your utility bill.
1. Scheduled Maintenance
A cooling system that is tuned will have it working at peak performance. If your air conditioner is not serviced, it has to work longer and harder to give you the same degree of comfort, and it does so at reduced efficiency which only adds to your utility bill. It has been proven in studies that half the failures in these systems are due to their not being maintained.
2. Do Not Fiddle With The Thermo
Most people leave the setting on their air conditioner thermostats at 78 degrees F. Others will set it to even higher temperatures when the home is not inhabited. If this has become your practice, make sure that nobody changes the thermostat to lower temperatures for faster cooling. The cooling rate of an air conditioner is the same whatever the setting. If you have adjusted the temperature to 70 degrees F, it will not go to the required temperature of 78 degrees any faster. You can avoid this problem if you go in for a programmable thermostat.
3. Close The Curtains
Natural light can be a way to reduce your costs for lighting, but if there is nobody at home, it is best to keep the curtains closed even during the day. This is all the truer if your home has windows that face east or west. If you prevent the rays of the sun from directly entering your home, it will help to reduce the effort that your air conditioner has to make to cool your home. You can maximize this, by opening the curtains, blinds or drapes in the evening, so that the heat that is in the home is allowed to escape.
4. Use A Dehumidifier
The fact is that, as most people say, that it is the humidity and not the heat that is a problem. So switch on the dehumidifier as the temperature rises. Once the house has lower humidity, your house and your family will feel cooler. Combine a dehumidifier with fans, and your thermostat can even be set above 78 degrees F.
5. Your AC Must Be Out Of The Sun
Ideally, your air conditioner must be located on the northern side of your home. This is not possible in every case, but generally, you must keep the unit out of the sun by using other means. Use the landscape to do so, as this can also make your yard look nice. Plant trees and shrubs around the air conditioner so that it works more efficiently. The shade from your landscaping will keep the direct rays from the sun away from your home.
6. Your Chores Must Be Done At The Right Time
Cooking can heat kitchens, as can the use of dishwashers that dry the dishes. Clothes dryers can also heat space around them. See if you can perform these tasks in the evening or when there is nobody around in the home. When tasks are labor-intensive, it can be uncomfortable performing them during the hotter times of the day.
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