Air conditioning is one of the most blissful ways to comfort the sweltering and steaming summer season. But when your Air Conditioner breaks down, it comes with a lot of discomfort and high repair bills that blow one's mind.
During summer, your air Conditioner works overtime to ensure you stay relaxed and comfortable. This doesn’t mean you have to break the bank in case of a malfunction of your air conditioner. You can call in the air conditioning repair team to check and replace your system at an affordable price.
Here are some of the ways you can save your air conditioning cost this summer;
1. Annual Maintenance
Servicing and annual maintenance of air conditioners should be a routine for every air conditioner owner as it protects the device from any potential damage to a great extent. Early detection of damage is possible if you check your unit regularly. Given that an AC may not show visible issues, assistance from a technician is essential since it points out problems that the owner would easily overlook.
Failure to regularly maintain the AC leads to a steady decline in air conditioning performance, therefore increasing energy use steadily.
2. Regular Cleaning
Dust particles and debris often accumulate in the filter of your air conditioner and the compressor. This increases stress and pressure that could build up on the air conditioner. Pressure on the compressor will generate cold air flow into the room. Having proper ventilation is essential to enable your AC unit to operate smoothly, as it allows the hot and cold air to flow uninterrupted.
Cleaning regularly also ensures adequate ventilation and effortless functioning of your air conditioner, saving you on repair costs. Just make sure you know how to clean the air conditioner coil and other AC unit parts that need regular cleaning properly.
3. Avoid Plastic
When covering your air conditioner, avoid plastic covers at all costs. Plastic covers won’t allow the air conditioner to breathe and trap the airflow in and out. Lack of airflow will lead to total system failure, which means that the air conditioner won’t be operational. To ensure that the air conditioner doesn’t break down, always use a breathable material to cover it.
4. Build A Productive Shade
Usually, the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is in direct contact with the external environmental condition, and it's essential to build a shade to protect it from rain, storm, sunlight, snow, etc. At times, trees usually act as a shade from excess heat and direct sunlight, but during spring, the trees start to shed leaves, and they, at times, get stuck in the openings of the outdoor unit. This may end up blocking the airflow and creating excess pressure, affecting the air conditioner's functionalities.
Having a protective shade ensures that the outdoor unit is well covered, reducing the repair cost on your unit.
5. Seal Leaks
Ensure that there are no inner and outer cracks on your walls, windows, and doors. These leaks may contribute to heat in your room, making your air conditioner work unnecessarily more complicated. When your AC works harder, it leads to high energy consumption and causes easy damage to the AC hence the high repair cost. Seek professional help for a thorough assessment of your building. A professional can find energy-efficient cracks in areas you might overlook and advise where more insulation is required.
6. Avoid Stove And Oven
Your air conditioner can be forced to strain more when you create more heat in the house. Heavy appliances like a stove and ovens produce heat which makes your air conditioner work harder to cool down the temperature in your house. Better still, consider creating a kitchen outside your main house or make sure that the air conditioner isn’t placed close to or near your main kitchen. Though it will still use energy, it’ll relieve the air conditioner from overworking, making repairs more regular and high electricity bills.
7. Install Ceiling Fans
To reduce the use of an air conditioner, run ceiling fans on the upper level and open windows on the lower level. To circulate airflow inside the house, if you live in a one-storey building, turn on the fan, close windows near it, and open those far from the fan.
Running ceiling fans raise your thermostat without interfering with your comfort. It’s advisable to run your ceiling fans anticlockwise and then turn them off when you leave the room.
Ceiling fans act as an alternative cooling system during the summer and are cost-effective since it doesn’t require high maintenance compared to air conditioners.
8. Turn Up And Get Smart About Your Thermostat
Switching to a smart thermostat that can program itself to adjust the temperature of your house at a particular time of the day can save you money on air conditioning bills. Set your thermostat to keep the temperature of the inside to the outside. Doing this may take some time to get used to, but once you're used to it, you'll appreciate the percentage at which your energy bills will have dropped.
If you haven't done this already, it's time to turn your smart thermostat up—also, the location of your thermostat matter. For it to work efficiently, you should place it on an interior wall far from direct sunlight, doors, windows, and skylight.
9. Change The Air Filter
If your air filter is dirty, it'll block the airflow making your AC work harder than usual. Clogged filters also increase the chances of needing air conditioner repair, so it's essential to change the air filter before the repair services get enormous.
This should be done especially during summer, to lower the air conditioner's bill and to extend its lifespan. The easy way to get this done is to find an expert team to help you change and clean the air filters.
Conclusion
Individuals that are keen on saving money on repairs and the cost of electricity this summer should have their air conditioner serviced by an expert. The air conditioner expert will ensure the unit is functioning as efficiently as possible. When the air conditioner runs smoothly, it helps the homeowner save cash that could have been used for repairs that could have been avoided.
