5 Tips for Using Your AC More Efficiently in West Melbourne, FL
The notoriously sizzling summers of West Melbourne, FL can easily make an inefficient AC the bane of your existence. Therefore, the skills and knowledge necessary to spot, counteract and prevent AC efficiencies are essential. Here are some important tips that can help you to improve AC efficiency.
1. Leave Your Thermostat Alone
We urge you to ignore the temptation to adjust your thermostat whenever you feel hot or otherwise uncomfortable. You may think that turning down the temperature settings on your thermostat will cause your AC to spring into action more forcefully, but it won’t. Once ACs turn on, they will expel a fixed volume of cool air into your home during a given interval of time, so the rate at which your home cools down will always remain constant.
2. Schedule Regular Maintenance
Prolonged use will put each of your AC’s parts under strain. It will also allow more dirt and other pollutants to flow through your system and get stuck in your vents, your compressor and other areas. Such stresses will gradually wear down your AC, increase the likelihood of an eventual breakdown and reduce the system’s energy efficiency.
Of course, within reason, all such things are normal. Since you can’t enjoy the positive effects of air conditioning without wearing down your AC, you need maintenance to keep it in good shape.
During maintenance, HVAC technicians may replace any refrigerant that your system has lost, check electrical connections, tighten loose bolts or screws and clean out accumulated debris. These things will maximize your AC’s current efficiency and slow down the rate at which it declines as much as possible. We advise you to sign up for AC maintenance either once or twice per year.
3. Clean or Replace Your Filters
Poor airflow can vastly diminish your AC’s efficiency. If your system can’t push treated air into your home in sufficient quantities, it will need to use up much more power to keep you cool.
Dirty air filters are among the greatest threats to smooth airflow. When enough debris gathers on the mesh of the filters, it can stop air from moving into your home, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of your AC and forcing it to consume more energy. Thankfully, you can avoid all of this trouble if you simply remember to clean or replace your filters once every three months.
4. Get a Dehumidifier
High humidity will only compound the already significant summer heat in West Melbourne, FL, making things feel even more sweltering than they truly are. To be comfortable under such conditions, you may have to set your thermostat lower than you otherwise would.
That means, however, that if you use a dehumidifier to make the air in your home feel less muggy, higher temperatures might come to seem tolerable. A dehumidifier will take some of the pressure off of your AC. It will make it possible for your AC to create the ideal indoor environment while consuming less energy.
5. Draw Your Blinds or Curtains
As sunlight hits your windows and warms them, heat will radiate from them and subtly enter your home. This will give your AC a little bit more work to do, slightly diminishing its efficiency. While this effect is probably small at any given moment, it can add up over time.
The easiest way to insulate your home from this problem is to draw the blinds or curtains over your windows, especially before you leave for work every morning. Of course, closing your windows will do even more to keep out unwanted heat.
The only motivation you need to implement our suggestions is the realization that, once you do, even the hottest and most uncomfortable summer in West Melbourne, FL can become pleasant and relaxing. However, our team can push your AC to the next level. To see how, call Anna’s Air & Heat to schedule AC repair services today.
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