Another hot, humid Indiana summer is just around the corner. Is your wallet ready for higher cooling bills? Implementing just a few A/C operating tips can help you improve energy efficiency and control your cooling budget. You don't have to sacrifice comfort to save a few bucks; you just have to be smart about how you run your cooling system.
Follow these A/C operating tips to help keep costs down this summer:
- Use your thermostat wisely. If you don't already have a programmable thermostat, it's worth the investment to gain significant energy savings. Keeping the house warmer when you're not home can noticeably reduce your monthly cooling bills. Raising the thermostat just one degree can save you up to 5 percent.
- Use your ceiling fans. Moving air creates a wind chill effect that will make the air feel cooler. This allows you to turn the thermostat up a few degrees, reducing your air conditioner's energy consumption. Always turn fans off when you leave the room; they provide no benefit in an unoccupied space.
- Schedule preventive maintenance. Just because your air conditioner is not broken doesn't mean it shouldn't be serviced. Annual maintenance keeps your A/C running at optimal efficiency and ensures that all the rooms in your home are consistently cooled.
- Seal and ventilate the attic. Make sure that any air leaks between the attic and the top floor of your home are sealed so that conditioned air cannot escape. Proper ventilation also prevents the attic from becoming superheated, which can cause hot air to seep into your living spaces.
- Control humidity. Humid air feels hotter. While your air conditioner will naturally remove some of the moisture from your indoor air, setting the thermostat lower will cost you. Consider a whole-house dehumidifier to cost-effectively control humidity so you can raise the thermostat without sacrificing home comfort.
For more A/C operating tips or expert advice on any heating and cooling topic, call the professionals at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning. We're here to help you increase efficiency and stay comfortable all year long. Call today to schedule a consultation.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C operating tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Hartman Brothers services New Haven, IN and the surrounding Fort Wayne area. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!