Air Conditioning Mistakes That Raise Your Bills
As the summer days are once again around the corner, it’s time that you start using your air conditioner once again. People using air conditioners enjoy cool summers, but when the time for bill payment comes, it can be pretty tough. Many who have been using an air conditioner for years now know that the amount of the electric bill is quite higher as compared to the ones in winter. But what most people don’t know is that there are certain mistakes that, if avoided, can lead to lowering your air condition bills. This article will talk about such air conditioning mistakes that you can rectify and lower your bills. Let’s have a look at it.
Air conditioning mistakes to avoid high electricity bills
- Not cleaning the AC Unit
One of the primary mistakes that people make is not cleaning their AC unit. Many of us have the habit of cleaning the AC unit once in a while, maybe even once in two years. But that’s where most of us go wrong. When the coils and AC filters aren’t cleared for a long period of time, they don’t work as efficiently as they need to.
Many of us don’t clean the AC. The accumulation of dust and debris damages the coils or filters. Rather the uncleaned coils and filters put pressure on the machine and tend to work harder. As a result, it increases the electricity consumption of the AC.
So if you want your bills to go down a notch, then you should clean the filters and coils regularly. You can also contact an experienced AC technician if you want professional cleaning.
- Not using fans
Many of us have the habit of just using AC for hours just to keep the room cool. But this practice is one of the common air conditioning mistakes that we all make. If you have ceiling fans or pedestal fans, then you can use them to cool your room.
You can use the AC for a few hours, switch it off, and turn on the ceiling/pedestal fans. They will help to keep you cool for a longer time; thus ensuring that your AC bills don’t come to hefty amounts at the end of the month. You can also install smart fans that you can control through your phone.
- Wrong size
Yes, size does matter in this case. If you are planning to install an air conditioner, then you have to check the size. If you want to install the AC in a large space/area, then don’t go for small ACs.
The reason being running those small ACs for hours can put immense pressure on the unit and force the coils to work beyond their capacity. Thus leading to the consumption of excess electricity.
On the other hand, if you install big ACs in small spaces, it might cool down the space fast but fail to remove the humidity present. As a result, it might affect its unit in the long run, and you might have to end up paying hundreds of bucks for air conditioning bills.
- Not locating vents and thermostats in the right positions
If you want to avoid air conditioning mistakes, then you need to install the vents/thermostats in the right position. Now many of us don’t even know that there’s a correct position in which thermostats or vents can be installed.
Most people install a thermostat on the wall where it receives direct sunlight. As a result, it increases the temperature of the thermostat and signals the ACs to over cool the room. The vents, too, have to be taken special care of.
One needs to ensure that vents aren’t covered/blocked by curtains or any kind of object. Obstruction of the vents will restrict the air circulation and, as a result, will reduce the efficiency of the AC leading to the extra consumption of electricity, thus increasing the bills.
- Opening Windows
You must have heard that before you turn on the AC, you need to close the windows and the doors. If the windows are kept open while the AC is running, then it will become difficult for the ACs to work properly. The humidity from the outside will put pressure on the unit to work harder, ending up using more electricity.
So if you want to enjoy the cool breeze, you need to either switch on the AC and shut the windows/doors or keep the windows open and turn off the AC. Keeping the windows open and turning on the AC will definitely increase your electricity bills.
- Lack of regular maintenance
Just like any type of other electrical appliance, the AC needs maintenance on a regular basis. An AC that has received maintenance service properly runs quite efficiently. Also, this helps to save the bills.
It’s essential that the condenser and the conduit are checked properly every year. Also, it needs to be checked if there’s any sign of corrosion in the coils.
If one maintains their AC on a regular basis, then there’s less chance that their AC bills will increase at the end of the day.
There are various servicing agencies that ensure that your ACs are thoroughly checked. Also, if there are any issues, they will resolve them.
- Keeping the temperature too low
During winter keeping the AC temperature at 26-27 gives us the exact comfort feeling we are looking for. But during summers, we sometimes put the temperature at 11-12 degrees just to keep our surroundings cool. But that, in the long run, affects the AC unit. So it’s advisable that you keep the temperature of the AC at a stable temperature.
Final thought
So, to sum up, these are some of the air conditioning mistakes that most of us make. But if we try to avoid it, there’s a high chance your bills won’t be as hefty as they are now. So if you are looking for professional help with your AC servicing or repair, then you can contact Dial One Sonshine. They are one of the best agencies in California.