Electricity is expensive, and new air conditioners are, too. For the next few months, you’re going to need to keep your home cool. How can you keep your bills down, your air conditioner in good condition, and your home as cool and comfortable as possible? Follow these 5 recommendations.
1: Don’t Forget Maintenance
AC maintenance is typically done in the spring, before the heat of summer really kicks in and your air conditioner needs to be working its hardest. But if you haven’t gotten that air conditioning service in Mountain Iron, MN, it’s not too late. When a technician performs maintenance, the effectiveness and efficiency of the air conditioner is improved, keeping your home more consistently cool while using less electricity. Maintenance also cuts down on the likelihood that your air conditioner will need repairs this summer, and waiting for repairs with a nonfunctional AC unit is not a nice experience in July or August. It will even help ensure that your air conditioner lasts as long as possible, postponing the day when you’ll need to replace it.
2: Keep the Heat Out
Draft stoppers for gaps under doors and caulk or foam weather stripping to seal any cracks around window frames can help keep your precious conditioned air indoors where it belongs. It also makes a big difference if you can prevent the sun from streaming in through your windows. The greenhouse effect is great for growing plants in cold weather—it’s not great for your home in the summer. Make sure curtains or blinds are shut at the times when the sun is directly on those windows.
3: Use Your Ceiling Fans
Every time a molecule of air brushes against your skin, as long as that air is a little cooler than body temperature, it will carry some of your body heat away with it. Moving air means more molecules and more heat carried away, so even though the room is the same temperature, you will feel cooler. Set your ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise, pushing air downward.
4: Take Advantage of Your Thermostat
Once you’ve done the other things on this list, you should be able to raise your thermostat by several degrees and feel just as cool. But you should also program your thermostat to raise the temp about ten degrees when you’re going to be away for hours or days and bring it back to your ideal temp in time for you to come home. This saves energy and money and also decreases wear and tear on the AC unit.
5: Get Repairs Promptly
If you think something is wrong with your air conditioner, don’t delay, get repairs right away. Many AC issues result in decreased cooling power and decreased efficiency, causing you to pay more for less cooling, and problems can worsen dramatically if they’re not addressed, leading to total breakdowns and more expensive repairs.
Take good care of your air conditioner, and it will take good care of you!
Reach out to Mesaba Heating & Air Conditioning today. Service to you is success to us!