Air conditioning is a wonderful innovation that has made the summer months bearable for the last 100 years. While your AC does show you a lot of love, do you show it in the same in return? If you’re making any of these mistakes, you’re only hurting yourself and your AC unit.
- Not Changing Air Filters – By refusing to change your system’s air filters, you’re restricting proper air flow to and from the unit. This will cause the HVAC system to work harder, thus wasting more energy and adding additional wear and tear to the unit. Replace your air filters monthly to avoid these issues.
- Lack of Service – While your filter needs to be checked monthly, your system itself only needs to be serviced annually. Your AC unit should be inspected by a professional technician once per year in the spring. However, if you’ve skipped this piece of maintenance recently, service it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you run the risk of having any malfunctioning parts break, further damaging your HVAC system.
- Too Low – Setting the thermostat to 65 degrees is something that no person should ever do. The AC unit should be set to a comfortable temperature in the low to mid-70s. For each degree you raise your thermostat, you can save up to three percent on your monthly bills. It’s all about finding a temperature that is comfortable to live in, not one that makes you throw a hoodie on!
- Wasted Cooling – There is no reason to cool your entire home if all of the rooms aren’t being utilized. Consider installing a thermostat that offers zoning to allow you to set different temperatures in different zones of the house. Keep the mains rooms cool in the lower 70s while you keep all of the other rooms in the higher 70s. This will cut your energy bills and keep some extra cash in your pocket.
- Look Ma, No Fans – To help out your air conditioner, turn on your ceiling fans to circulate the cool air throughout the house. Make sure that all of the fans are set to turn counterclockwise so cool air is sent downwards. With the small amount of energy it takes to run a fan, it will certainly take some of the work away from your AC unit.
If you need an HVAC technician to service or repair your AC unit, contact the pros at Tri-City Appliance, Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. To learn more, or to schedule a service, give us a call at (203) 303-5700 or contact us online.