Making the Most of Your Air Conditioning?

Answer 1

Air conditioning is important for almost all areas of the world that have a warm season. Unfortunately, it can also drive up energy costs. It can also be tricky to know how to set up your air conditioning when it's first being installed, no matter if you have a window unit or central air conditioning. Then once it's set up, you'll need to figure out how to adjust the thermostat for your best comfort level. Here let's take a look at how to make the most of your air conditioning in these three areas.

It's a simple fact of life that air conditioning can drive up your energy costs. However, there are a number of simple things you can do to lower both the up-front costs and the reoccurring costs from your energy bill. When you're buying air conditioning units, you should always try to get units that have an EnergyStar certification, or its equal. These units often cost a little more up-front, but have lower reoccurring costs because they use less power to operate. To offset the higher up-front costs, you should try to purchase your air conditioning units in the off season when they aren't in such high demand, and stores are trying to quickly sell the remaining units they have in stock.

Air conditioning units are rated for square footage, no matter if you have a window unit or central air conditioning. When placing window units, they should be placed as low as possible in the window for maximum efficiency in terms of square footage. With central air, if you're putting in vents, you should make sure there is one in each major living area and bathroom. However, you should keep them out of the common walking area if at all possible since they can crack and cause leaks.

Conventional wisdom suggests that people are the most comfortable around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. However, everyone is different, and not everyone feels comfortable at the same temperature. If you move the thermostat up a few degrees, and wear lighter clothing to compensate, you can keep about the same level of comfort while lowering your air conditioning costs. Once you get used to this level of comfort, you might wonder why you ever kept the thermostat lower at all.