Summer in New Zealand is almost in full swing, so it’s time to start using your air conditioning units to maintain a cool and comfortable temperature in your living spaces. If you want to boost the efficiency of your air conditioning units and lower your energy bills, use these tips to assist you.
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Install A Programmable Thermostat
Some air conditioning units come installed with a programmable thermostat, but if your system doesn’t contain one, you should consider getting it installed. A programmable thermostat will maintain and control a stable temperature in your home, without costing more in energy.
They also control your air conditioning system by turning it on when the room is at a particular temperature. You might think that it doesn’t make a difference, but it does. If your thermostat was off even by a few degrees, you might not feel the change in temperature, but it would make the compressor in the unit run for longer, therefore using excess energy, which is wasted.
Change The Air Filter
All air conditioning units contain an air filter. They ensure that the cool air you get out of the system is clean of dust, pollen and other dirt particles, which get caught in the filters. However, the dirt can build up over time, affecting how efficient your system is. With clogged air filters, the airflow in and out of the aircon is restricted, making the appliance work harder to condition the air around you. Therefore, not changing your air filters regularly enough can actually affect how much energy you consume when you use your air conditioning unit. Have your filters changed or cleaned regularly, and you’ll see a marked improvement in its energy efficiency.
Have Your Air Ducts Inspected
Checking the state of your ducts doesn’t mean you have to drop whatever you’re doing and start crawling through the ceiling. However, you should get them inspected by a professional. The duct system in your home transfers the cool air generated by your air conditioning system throughout the rest of the building, keeping it cool and comfortable. But if you have a breakage or leak in your duct system, the conditioned air is wasted. In that scenario, you could be losing up to 30% of conditioned air. If you’re running your air conditioning unit and not feeling it coming through the vents in certain rooms in the building, it could mean that you have faulty ductwork.
If you’re running your air conditioning system and not feeling its effects in certain areas of your home, you’re wasting money on electricity bills and wasted energy. Have your ducts inspected regularly for damage to become more energy-efficient.
Utilise Ceiling Fans
Even though you might think that this might use more electricity, you’d only be right if you didn’t use your ceiling fans correctly. If you ran your air conditioner to supply cool air, and then used your ceiling fans to help circulate it around your home, you’d be using less energy, and still have a comfortable temperature. You could turn the thermostat in the A/C system up by a few degrees, but run it less than usual. The smallest changes can sometimes make a big difference in your energy consumption, and in how much you pay for it at the end of the day. By using your ceiling fans to circulate cool air, you’ll have the best of both worlds – a cool, temperature-controlled home, and an affordable energy bill.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
Lastly, but most importantly, you should schedule your air conditioning units for regular maintenance. The best way to boost the efficiency of you’re A/C is to look after it. Aircons that are maintained regularly are more efficient for longer than their unserviced counterparts. Your technician will be able to clean or change the air filters at the same time and even inspect your ductwork.
Servicing your air conditioning unit will also maintain it, make it last longer, and save you money in repair bills, replacement parts and energy bills – so it’s best to schedule that maintenance regularly. The best times to maintain your air conditioning unit is before summer – after the filters have collected the pollen of spring, and before you start using the system more often as the weather gets warmer.
Boosting your energy efficiency is simple if you follow these tips. They’ll help you save money, generate a better carbon footprint, and make your home more sustainable than before. Better yet, you won’t compromise on comfortable temperatures or a climate-controlled home this summer.