It takes electricity to power an air conditioning system, and electricity comes with a price tag. We can’t change the cost of using energy, but we know ways to help you lower how much electricity your air conditioner uses.
Something to keep in mind about the AC: it uses both fans and a compressor to run. Running only the fans only uses around 500 watts of electricity per hour. When the compressor runs and the AC goes into its cooling mode, it consumes an average of 3,500 watts per hour—a substantial difference. That’s where most of the money to stay cool goes.
Now let’s see how we can cut down on that electricity consumption…
1. Raise the thermostat, don’t lower it
When the heat gets tough, the tough raise the thermostat. No, we don’t want you to raise the thermostat to heat the house. We’re advising you to avoid pushing the thermostat down lower, because that will only force the AC to run longer, consume more power, and make the house too cold. Every degree you raise the thermostat can save about 1–2% on energy bills. The recommended daytime setting for an AC thermostat is 78°F, raising it 10°F at night or when people aren’t home.
2. Change the air filter
If you’ve just started to notice an increase in the cost to run your AC, check if the air filter in the HVAC cabinet is clogged. If you’ve left the current filter in place for three months or more, that’s likely what’s causing the air conditioner to drain excess amounts of power. Make air filter changes a part of your summer routine.
3. Never forget regular maintenance
We advise professional maintenance for an AC once a year. The best time to have this done is spring, but it’s never too late in the year to schedule it. An air conditioner will lose around 5% of its efficiency per year it misses maintenance, so this can often account for inflation in cooling costs.
4. Clear the area around the condenser
The condenser is the outdoor cabinet of a central AC. It must have a clear area around it for about a foot or else it won’t be able to effectively exhaust heat, and this will cut into the AC’s efficiency. Look out for debris, shrubs, branches, and other obstructions that may block the condenser unit.
5. Open all room vents
You can’t control which rooms receive cooling by just closing or blocking room vents—the HVAC system doesn’t work that way! If any vents are blocked or shut, it will harm the energy efficiency of the system, and it can also cause damage to the ductwork.
6. Upgrade to a better thermostat
An old manual thermostat can waste energy. New thermostat models have superior precision and come with special features (such as “smart” programming and remote access) that make it easier than ever to reduce air conditioning use without sacrificing comfort.
You can trust us when it comes to everything air conditioning in San Antonio, TX. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
At Thayer Air Conditioning, your comfort is our #1 priority! Call us when you want help beating the high cost of cooling.
