Energy bills can skyrocket in the summer months, but if your bills are already high early on in the cooling season, it could be due to the way you run your system. Many homeowners have some misconceptions about air conditioning systems, which cause them to unintentionally operate the air conditioner inefficiently. Take a look at some of the reasons your bills may be unusually high.
Common AC Efficiency Mistakes
Here are some of the most common mistakes we see people making with their air conditioners. If you are guilty of any of these, take the steps to correct them and call an AC technician for more helpful advice and service.
- Close off vents when it gets cold. Your air conditioner was sized upon installation to meet a specific load requirement. Any change in the amount of space your AC is given to cool will cause trouble for the system, which may have to work harder in an attempt to cool your home evenly.
- Set the temperature too low. A common misconception about air conditioners is that if you lower the temperature, the unit will cool down faster. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case; an AC cools at one speed and you’ll only end up running the AC for longer and using more energy.
- Neglect to use the programming settings on your thermostat. For the best efficiency possible, program your thermostat ahead of time and set a schedule for the week that allows you to save energy while you are away.
- Forget to replace or clean the filter. A dirty filter will keep air from flowing into the system, which means there is not enough airflow coming into your home. The AC will run for a long time to attempt to make up for this lack, and you may end up spending more. Replace or clean your filter every 1 – 3 months.
- Schedule repairs at the last minute. Don’t wait for a total system breakdown before scheduling AC repairs. Call a technician at the first sign of trouble or schedule routine maintenance to prevent issues from occurring.
Call the expert technicians on the ACI Northwest team for air conditioning advice, maintenance, and additional AC services in the Coeur d’Alene, ID area.