Having AC is a great benefit that can ensure your comfort throughout the year, but there is the potential for your energy bills to skyrocket, it is not used efficiently. Even if you have an unlimited energy budget, running your AC 24/7 in the hotter months can have a massive environmental impact. Fortunately, there are ways to increase the efficiency and economy of your AC with these tips and tricks.
Be Air Filter Aware:
One of the most important factors in HVAC efficiency is regularly checking and changing the air filters. According to US Department of Energy data, having dirty air filters can increase the energy consumption of the typical AC unit by as much as 15%.
How frequently you need to change your filters will depend on a number of factors. While every manufacturer offers recommendations, the size of your household, your indoor air quality, if you have pets in the home and the type of air filter itself all impact whether you need to change your filters more often.
Avoid Making Steep Temperature Changes:
When the days get hotter, there is a temptation to crank up the AC to get cooler quickly, but this is not efficient. Blasting your AC on full power may help you to achieve the desired temperature, but you are putting your system under greater strain. Additionally, you are more likely to end up feeling cold and then you’ll shut off your AC. As you start to feel warm, the whole cycle starts up over again.
A far more sensible approach is to maintain a stable temperature, simply bringing the temperature down to a reasonable and comfortable temperature and maintaining this. You may find that you don’t need the thermostat set to 60º, when you can feel perfectly cool at 68º. While this may not seem like a significant difference, the Department of Energy estimates that you can save approximately one percent for every degree that you adjust your thermostat for each eight hour period.
Use a Smart Thermostat:
There have been a number of impressive developments in HVAC technology including smart thermostats. While this is a more expensive option compared to the old style thermostat, it can have a massive impact on your system efficiency. Most research suggests that installing a smart thermostat could decrease your energy bills by up to 25%.
The reason for this is that smart thermostats “learn” your habits and preferences. Once this occurs, it can make the necessary changes to ensure that you have optimum home comfort at the greatest efficiency.
Create HVAC Zones:
Many people overlook the potential benefits of zoning for their HVAC, but it can be a great way to reduce energy bills and improve the effectiveness of AC equipment.
Zoning allows you to set specific temperatures for designated areas of your home. This means that you don’t need to condition your whole home when you and your family are all watching television in the living area. Creating zones also allows you to set different temperatures according to your preferences. This means that you can have your sleeping areas a little warmer or cooler than your living areas.
Monitor Your Indoor Humidity:
Humidity is actually an important element for maintaining indoor temperatures. The optimum indoor humidity is 30% to 50%. Unfortunately, hitting this sweet spot can be challenging as it depends on a variety of factors including the season, your personal requirements and even clothing. While you can use the dry mode on your AC if your humidity levels are well above the optimum level, you don’t want your indoor air to be too dry.
For this reason, it is a good idea to monitor your indoor humidity, particularly if you’re having difficulty maintaining the perfect temperatures inside your home. You can purchase a hygrometer to check your humidity levels, but many smart thermostats include humidity levels and can automatically adjust to compensate for higher humidity.
Use Your Fan Mode:
Many people automatically run their AC on cool mode throughout the summer, but this may not be the most effective or efficient approach. There are a number of other less energy intensive modes that can provide a refreshing atmosphere inside your home. For example, if it is not an extremely hot day, you may find the fan mode is sufficient to make you feel comfortable.
This will mean that you can enjoy a nice breeze without using excessive amounts of energy.
Check for Debris:
Before the start of the summer and throughout the season, be sure to check for debris on or around your outdoor AC unit. During winter and spring, adverse weather and new growth can mean that your unit has leaves, dirt and other debris, which can block the air vents. This not only compromises the performance of your AC, but it forces the equipment to work harder to maintain your desired temperature levels.
If the AC unit continues to become blocked with debris, it could compromise the performance and lead to a breakdown issue. If you want to avoid this and ensure your AC is running effectively, you should aim to create a shady, cool place for your outdoor unit. Ideally, the unit should be placed in an area with at least a couple of feet of clear space around it. If your new plant growth has reduced this space, it is time to do some pruning back to recover the necessary space.
Is Your AC Properly Sized?
If you’ve continually had issues with your AC or you’ve recently extended the living space in your home, your equipment may not be properly sized for the space. Air conditioner sizing requires a variety of calculations to ensure the optimum capacity equipment is installed. If your AC is too large or too small, it will not only be ineffective and inefficient, but it may not provide the full useful lifespan. Incorrectly sized equipment often short cycles, which increases energy usage, as the equipment works harder to maintain your desired temperature.
If you have concerns about whether your AC equipment can handle your cooling requirements this summer, be sure to speak to your local HVAC technician.