When it comes to the heat of summer, your air conditioner might not be your only answer. Oddly enough, a big ac unit might not even be a great idea.
Smaller units tend to run longer and outperform larger ones that just click on and then off, so a smaller unit might actually cool your home even better and faster. Make sure the BTUs of cooling put out are in alignment with the square footage of your home. An AC unit that runs longer is better for the consistent maintenance of a steady room temperature. It’ll also remove more moisture from the air, lowering indoor humidity, and that can mean better comfort than just cooler air.
On the other hand, getting too small of a machine means it will run nearly nonstop, never quite getting the job done. You might be initially attracted to a lower price tag, but you’ll more than pay for it in terms of utility bills and repairs and maintenance over the years. Always get your sizing done by a qualified professional. Getting the appropriately sized unit or model for your home will keep the place cool without setting fire to your credit card bill. Even better, when using a centralized AC system, use circulating fans in every room for promoting air movement to spare your air conditioner at least that much of the workload.
The above advice was provided by AirDuct Care Heating and Air Conditioning, an experienced HVAC company based in Virginia Beach, VA. Alexei is the owner and a acquaintance who I contact regularly for HVAC related advice. For advanced tips about fixing your unit, you can visit Alexei’s air conditioning system repair page on his company website.
If you’d like other tips on keeping your home cool without relying entirely on your central cooling system, then keep reading:
1) Install Whole-House Fans: You can use these to maintain cooler temperatures by dragging cool air throughout the entire home before pushing the warm air into your attic. Whole-house fans work out best in the night, especially on evenings where the outdoor air is actually cooler than the indoor air.
2) Set Your Thermostat High: This is true for the summer season or whenever it is really warm. The less difference there is between outdoor temperatures and indoor temperatures, the lower your utility bill will be. Your cooling rate slows down for colder settings, meaning your indoor temperatures might fall to levels you find uncomfortable, all while racking up utility charges along the way.
3) Put Fan Speeds On High: The evaporative effect can make most air feel up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than it really is. However, very humid air might not work out too well for this.
4) Use Interior Fans On Top Of Window Air Conditioner Units: A window air conditioner can cool down a lot of air, but it only blasts it so far into your home. Indoor fans can spread the wealth of cool air further into your home without running up your power bill too much.
5) Keep Electronics Away From Your Thermostat: Heat from any appliances can trigger readings in the thermostat and trigger the AC into running more than is actually necessary.
6) Shade Your Unit: Using shrubs or trees to shade your outdoor air conditioner is okay, provided you don’t block the airflow. An air conditioner unit that functions in shade might wind up using only 90 percent of the power that one exposed to sunlight does.