Spring has come to the Salt Lake City, UT area, and with it comes high temperatures and an increased need for your air conditioner. With proper maintenance and care, your system should be up to the task, but heat waves bring with them higher monthly bills and increased strain on the system. Many people often make well-intentioned mistakes when running their air conditioner that can cost them a great deal in needless energy waste. By avoiding these common errors, you can cut down on your bills and ensure that your air conditioner is performing at maximum efficiency.
Don’t Run Your System in an Empty House
Many people will run their air conditioners all day while they go to work or school. Some of this comes from wanting to come home to a cool home in the evening, but it also stems from the belief that cooling down a hot house takes longer and costs more money. It doesn’t work that way, and the cost of keeping an empty house cool for 8-10 hours far exceeded the extra effort required to make a hot home comfortable. Instead of turning your system on before you leave in the morning, program it to turn on 15-20 minutes before you come home. It will be cool and comfortable, and you won’t waste all that energy.
Don’t Lower the Thermostat
There’s a natural assumption that lowering the thermostat will make the air conditioner release cooler air, and thus cool off your home more quickly. The system doesn’t work that way. The air coming out of your AC is always the same temperature. The thermostat merely determines how long the system will run (i.e., until it reaches the temperature you want). By setting an accurate temperature, you can spare your system unnecessary strain and help keep those bills low.
At Your Service is standing by to help with air conditioning installation and repair!
