It’s that time of year when the scorching Queensland summer hits all of us with long days of heat, sweat, and energy-draining temperatures.
Fortunately, you might say, there’s air conditioning to save the day. You would be right, except for the fact that it’s easy to rack up huge power bills if you’re not careful. The resulting bills sometimes seem too large to justify cooling off!
But there’s salvation for your pockets if you know how to make your air conditioning system work more efficiently, and get the same, if not better cooling, at a lower price.
In this article, we’ll share the answer to that exact question: “How Can I Make My Air Conditioner Run More Efficiently?”, so you can make your air conditioning dollars count – while keeping cool this summer.
Let’s begin!
A Simple Formula To Save More On Your Air Conditioning Unit
Saving money on your air conditioning isn’t hard to figure out.
At the very core, here’s just one simple rule to live by in order to maximise your savings:
By reducing the amount of energy that your air conditioning unit requires to cool your house, you effectively reduce the amount of dollars that you pay for the electricity that powers your air conditioning unit.
With that, let’s look at some ways that we can effectively reduce the amount of energy required by your air conditioning unit.
Block Sunlight Coming Into The House
One suggestion that could put more dollars in your pocket is to keep your house as cool as possible.
Air conditioning units continually pull hot air out of a room, recycle it to make cool air, and then pump it back into your house. That means that the more heated air there is in your house, the more energy your air conditioning unit has to expend to recycle that air.
Sunlight coming through windows is a big contributor to a hot room during summer. Take a close look at your house or office when you have a moment. Ask yourself:
Where is sunlight seeping into the house?
Once you have identified the places where sunlight is coming in, it’s time to cover them up.
Lined curtains and shades can lower your home’s temperature dramatically, and keep your home or office’s core temperature low before you even switch on your air conditioning unit.
If possible, make a trip down to the DIY shop to purchase shades, blinds or curtains that have light-blocking capabilities, and that can significantly stop sunlight from seeping into your home or office.
Even if you don’t have curtains or shades which are light-blocking, make it a point to keep them drawn during the day to reduce the amount of sunlight and heat coming into your home or office.
Keep Heat Generating Appliances Away From Your Air Conditioning Unit
Next, let’s talk about the heat generated from within your home or office.
Most people stop at blocking heat coming into the unit but overlook the fact that some appliances within the home actually generate heat as well.
Since heat increases the amount of energy that is required to cool a room, the best thing to do is to keep it to a minimum.
Some of these heat-generating electrical appliances include:
- Refrigerators
- Iron
- Steamers.
If possible, try to keep these appliances out of range of your air conditioning units, and locate them elsewhere that isn’t cooled by an air-conditioning unit.
The reason why these heat-generating appliances increase the energy required by air conditioning units is simple.
They warm up your room, creating an impression of hot air, which leads to inaccurate temperature readings of the room, and trigger your air conditioning unit’s thermostat to use unnecessary energy to cool the room further.
Restrict The Area That Needs To Be Cooled
Another practical tip that you can use to save money on your air conditioning bill every month is to reduce the amount of space that needs to be cooled.
The rationale here is simple. The bigger the area, the more your air conditioning unit has to work to maintain the same cool temperatures throughout the room, making your electricity bill spike for no good reason.
Always ask yourself:
- Are there any rooms that I don’t need to use while the air conditioner is on?
- Are there any parts of the room that I’m not in all day?
If you or your occupants are not using a specific part of the house, there’s no reason why you should be paying to cool down rooms, not in use.
As much as possible, close off, or restrict the amount of space that needs to be cooled, so you save a decent chunk off of that electricity bill.
Maintain Your Air Conditioners Frequently
Another nifty way that you can save on your air conditioning bill every month during summer is by properly maintaining and cleaning your unit.
There are a few advantages to this:
- You extend the lifespan of your air conditioning unit, which saves you money in the long run, and reduces energy waste and expense.
There are two ways that you can clean your air conditioning unit, depending on a few factors.
The Easy Way – Change Your Air Conditioning Filters
The most typical way to clean and maintain your air conditioning unit is to change your filters.
Voltora recommends that you consider this option if your air conditioning unit is relatively new. That means you just purchased your air conditioning unit, or you’ve had it for less than a year or so.
Locate your filter, extract it from your Air Conditioner, and give it a good wash with clean running water. For most filters, it’s easy to see if it has been cleaned; it should look like a greyish white mesh after you’ve washed it.
Washing your filter is a quick and easy way to prolong the life of your air conditioning unit, and to get an immediate improvement in air output and overall efficiency of the unit.
This, of course, leads to a lower cost of cooling, allowing you to save on your electricity bills.
Pro Tip: If you have some time, take a wet cloth, and give your air conditioning unit’s external air intake vents a good clean. You’ll be surprised how clean the air becomes!
The More Advanced Way – Ask Voltora To Give Your Air Conditioner A Service
If your air conditioning system is more than a year old, it may be time for a deeper clean than just a simple filter change to make it run more efficiently.
Over time, air conditioning systems clog up with dirt and dust and this can obstruct airflow, which leads to more energy being used to cool your home or office.
Since we’re talking about the dirt and dust that is accumulated inside the system; this is grime that can’t be accessed or cleaned with simple running water.
It’s best to book a professional Air Conditioning Expert, like Voltora, to come and do it for you, so your air conditioning system runs at an optimal level again.
Working with Voltora is simple and straightforward. We’ll come over, assess your air conditioning system, and give you the best solution(s) that you require to get your air conditioning unit running at its maximum capacity.
During the process, our friendly Voltora Air Conditioning Experts will also give you a slew of tips and tricks that you can use to best optimise your air conditioning energy usage.
Click here to begin your Voltora Maintenance Experience Now
There’s No Need To Turn On Your Air Conditioners All The Time
If your air conditioning units come with a timer, then you can get creative with it to help you save some money off your electricity bill.
For example, if you’re the type that constantly forgets to switch off your air conditioning unit when you’re rushing off for work in the morning, set your timer to switch off during the time that you typically wake up, or leave your house.
Moreover, if you need only minimal air conditioning when you sleep and can sleep comfortably without running it all night, you can set your air conditioning timer to switch off your unit when you sleep and then combine it with a fan to keep air circulating and reduce humidity while you sleep.
Don’t Go As Low As You Can Go
Finally, resist the temptation to adjust the unit’s temperature to its lowest setting.
Many people assume that the lower your unit’s temperature is, the faster your home or office will cool down but, in reality, the temperature of 24 to 27°C will cool you down just as quickly as setting it to 17°C.
If possible, resist the temptation to reduce your air conditioning unit to its lowest settings, and you can save that much more on your electricity bill.
Optimise Your Air Conditioning Experience With Voltora Now
If you can’t stand the Queensland heat, especially in the summer, we can provide air conditioning solutions that cool your property in the most optimal and cost-effective way.
Besides air conditioning maintenance, we can offer you industry and brand-specific solutions that can save you money this Queensland summer and beyond.
Voltora’s Air Conditioning experts are certified with Arctick, the leading authority for refrigerant and cooling solutions, giving you peace of mind that you’re getting the best service providers on the market.
In addition, Voltora’s AirCon experts are Gold Master Electricians who have a thorough knowledge of electrical systems, as well as air conditioning expertise – further ensuring that your home or office systems work well with one another, and are optimised for the best efficiency possible.
Click here to optimise your air conditioning system with Voltora right now.
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