With the warmer months just around the corner and the temperatures on the rise, you are going to be reliant upon your air conditioning a whole lot more. But with that greater dependence on your HVAC in Tulsa, the more likely you are to make those tried and true air conditioning blunders that we all seem to commit at least once or twice throughout the summer.
You know the mistakes we’re talking about, operating your unit at less than peak efficiency and neglecting to have your system diagnosed and serviced by trained technicians when you clearly need someone to have a look at your equipment. Long term neglect can bring long-time pain to your wallet.
There are other factors to think about as well, such as the rise in utility costs from year to year. The longer you operate your system, the more money you are paying out of pocket to stay comfortable. But what if you didn’t have to run the system for endless hours just to make your living space, well, livable?
These are the air conditioning blunders that you want to avoid. We’re going to give you the smart and sensible air conditioning tips to make the summer months more comfortable and less expensive. Here are some of the most important things you should be doing to reduce the stress on your AC system and your bank account:
Setting Your Thermostat Properly
Perhaps the most oft-repeated blunder that just about every homeowner commit is failing to set the thermostat correctly. The thermostat is can be your best friend or your worst enemy if you do not know how to work the device. After all, this is how you are able to regulate the use of your air conditioner so that you aren’t wasting money.
The blunder you are making (and you may not even realize) is that you are constantly adjusting and re-adjusting the temperature level in your home. This won’t just force your air conditioner to run less efficiently but it will also jack up your electric bill. That’s because you are starting and stopping the system so frequently and causing it to run longer than necessary.
Here is how you avoid making this blunder. Get a programmable thermostat. You just set it and forget it; the device does the rest. Operating when you program it to do so, meaning it shuts on and off less frequently and functions for shorter periods of time. When you program the device, do so as close to the outdoor temperature as you can with a difference of just five to seven degrees.
Secure the Windows
Another big blunder that homeowners commit is forgetting that windows are a terrible form of insulation. So, you need to take steps to keep warm air from getting through the glass and into your home. The warmer air that gets into the home, the longer your air conditioner needs to work so it can bring down the interior temperature to the level you want.
So how should you go about doing this? You may want to consider installing double or triple pane windows as these come with insulating properties in the form of multiple panes of glass and inert gases, all of which are designed to act as barriers to heat gain.
But if you don’t have the cash to replace the windows in your home, another effective and much cheaper alternative is to install window coverings that can act as those barriers to keep the sun’s heat and UV rays from getting into the home through your windows.
Choose window dressings that are strong enough to do this work. Go with heavy curtains or thick shades that you can draw across the window glass and reduce the amount of heat that infiltrates your home.
When selecting those window coverings, go with lighter colors because they will be far more effective at deflecting the heat away from the inside of the room instead of darker colors, which will only absorb the heat.
Swap Out Your Air Filter
Finally, the biggest blunder of all time. Even worse than the thermostat fiddling. Forgetting to change your air filter is so simple, a total no-brainer. Yet too many folks just don’t do it. Well a dirty filter is going to make your air conditioning system run harder and longer. That’s due to the lack of proper air flow circulating into the system.
If your system is overworked it can break down sooner than expected and cost more to fix.
