1. Thermostat Control
A thermostat is a device that regulates the temperature. In simpler words, its the temperature that you set for your room. A thermostat works by checking the temperature of your room and stops the compressor when the temperature of the room reaches the set point. It is no where related to cooling your room faster or better instead its just a way by which your AC measures the temperature inside your room.
So, no matter if you bring the thermostat to a lower level i.e. if you set your thermostat at 18 degree that does not mean your AC will cool the room faster than if set at 25 degrees. It’s a common misconception people often lower the thermostat to 16 degrees thinking the unit will work faster and better. But, the truth is when you bring the thermostat down it consumes more electricity than the required amount. It is because the compressor takes longer time to reach the set temperature and in turn consumes more electricity.
So, keeping your thermostat somewhere between 22-24 degrees is a powerful way to save your electricity bill in summers.
2. Clean The Filters
Think when was the last time you replaced or cleaned the filters. If it’s been a while, it can accumulate dirt and dust reducing the efficiency of unit by decreasing the air flow rate. When the filters are dirty, the air takes time to flow inside the room putting more pressure on the compressor. This further makes the compressor to work harder and in turn increases the power consumption rate. Not only this, if the filters are not cleaned regularly the life of your AC unit comes to half.
We advise you to clean the air filters once a month. Keeping them clean decreases the load on the compressor and there by reducing the energy consumption by 5-15 percent.
3. Reduce Heat Sources
While sunlight is always nice, but in summer season can raise the temperature of your room significantly. Prefer closing the curtains or blinds or try to invest in blackout curtains as they reduce the exterior heat coming inside the room.Further, also keep the heat producing appliance like TV, lamps, charger, etc away from the unit. It is because the heat produced by them may force the thermostat to work harder to cool the room, in turn using more power.
4. Keep The Air Flowing
Make sure the air keeps flowing inside your room evenly. There should be no hindrances. For the same, you can carry out the following steps.
- Use fans: Fans circulate the air all around the room and moving air helps your body enjoy the natural conditioning. Keep your fan on only when you are inside the room.
- Re-arrange your furniture: Make sure the chairs and sofa’s in the room are not blocking the air flow from your HVAC vents.
- Seal the air leaks: Any small to large hole in the your room, can make your air conditioner work harder. A open hole hinders in air flow and thus forcing the compressor to work harder and longer. So, make sure that there is no hole, space vent, etc in your room that are forcing your unit to work harder to cool the room.
- Keep the door closed: When the AC is on, it is advised to close the doors and windows. It is because when they are closed the air is not escaped out and the room temperature remains constant all the time.
5. Maintain The Ducts And Vents
When using an AC unit make sure that the air ducts are properly insulated, especially the ones that go through the attic or any other areas that are not air-conditioned. Leakages in the ducts and vents decreases the cooling efficiency of the unit put more pressure on the compressor and eventually force the unit to consumer more electricity.
We recommend you to get a expert check done once a year for any kind of hole or leaks in the ducts or the vents. You can repair a hole or leak in the duct using a duct tape temporarily but holes and leak need professional fixing. If you have any leakages, fix them as soon as possible for better cooling and more life of the unit.
6. Reduce Humidity
If your room has excess of humidity it will just make you feel uncomfortable. The natural way to remove humidity from the room is natural ventilation. Open the doors and windows in your room for at least an hour everyday. When they open there is cross ventilation leading to reduce humidity inside the room.
The most effective way to reduce the humidity in the room is by using a de-humidifier. They not only reduce the humidity in your room but also reduce the burden on your AC unit. Your body can stand a couple of extra degrees if the air is dry and moving. This way you will end up using your thermostat at the standard level.
7. Air Condition Maintenance
An AC unit draws the largest amount of electricity. The old and poorly maintained units draws much more electricity. Do the following things to maintain your AC unit.
- Replace your AC with a modern high efficiency Energy Star unit. The new units consume a much lesser electricity and promise to reduce the electricity bill by 40%. Nowadays, many AC come with a 5 star rating. The higher the bee rating the lesser electricity it will consume. So, if you are using the same old technology AC prefer, replacing it with a new energy efficient AC to save your money in the longer run
- Replace the filers once a year as as per the requirement. We recommend to schedule a filter checkup once a year to make sure they are working fine.
- Keep your air conditioner out of the sun: Prefer installing your unit in a shady side of the the house to keep the direct sun rays away. It is because direct rays force the compressor to overwork and thus raise the electricity bill.
If you follow all or most of the tips mentioned above you will certainly reduce your the power consumption and save money. Depending on the place where your leave and the regularity with which you follow these proactive measures the savings could be hundred to thousands a year.
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