8 Ways to Increase Air Conditioning Efficiency

According to the Department of Energy, over half of your energy expenses go towards your air conditioner and furnace. Improving your HVAC’s efficiency will not only save you money on your monthly bill, but you will save money in the long run by extending the life of your system.

Here are 8 ways you can increase your air conditioner’s efficiency. Make sure to contact a professional if you think your air conditioner is not running at peak performance. Click here for 6 ways to increase your furnace efficiency.

1. Change and Clean your Air Conditioner Filter

Check air filters to ensure they are clean as dirty filters slow air circulation. If dirty, first try cleaning filters, and make sure to replace your filter at least once per pear and clean the filter on a monthly basis.

2. Program your Thermostat

Programming your thermostat to different temperatures for different times of day is key to increasing your air conditioning efficiency. If your home is empty every weekday for a certain number of hours, program your thermostat to let your house be a bit warmer and cool off before you get home. Don’t forget to adjust your thermostat for vacations as well!

3. Don’t Cover your Vents

If there is a room like a guest room that is mostly unused, these vents should be covered to push the air to the rest of the home. Otherwise you should keep items like blinds and furniture away from blocking the vents to help maintain steady airflow from your system. Vents are often placed underneath windows, and if that window is covered by a curtain, the air gets blown near the hot window and doesn’t cool the room. Try using a deflector to help your AC unit cool your home.

4. Keep the Space Around the Outdoor Condenser Unit Clean

Make sure your outdoor air conditioner condenser is free of debris and dirt. These can get lodged in the unit and prevent it from running properly. Also, ensure all plants are trimmed back for your unit to operate properly.

5. Keep Heat Away from your Thermostat

It’s very important to keep things away from your thermostat that create heat. Having a lamp near your thermostat will make it kick your air conditioner on far more than necessary.

6. Check the Temperature Outside

Before you set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature, make sure you check the weather outside to see if it’s cooler. Especially here in Colorado, it is very sunny making your home hot and making you think it’s even hotter outside, but sometimes it’s actually cooler. Check the weather before you go to bed as well!

7. Close Blinds and Curtains

The windows that are in the late afternoon sun bring in the most heat. Covering those windows with blinds and curtains will help keep your home cool and give your air conditioner a break.

8. Contact a Professional

If you have not had an air conditioning tune-up in a while or you think your unit could be more efficient, make sure to contact a professional. From a leak in the ductwork to a simple system cleaning, a professional will make sure your unit is running efficiently and save you money on your monthly electric bill. Air conditioner manufacturers recommend having the system serviced yearly before the first use in Spring.

If you are near us in Aurora or live throughout the Denver Metro Area, Grand Home Services would be happy to help you with your air conditioner efficiency. Contact us today.