Your air conditioner is a modern marvel of an appliance that circulates the air to keep your room cool during those hot summer months. However, air conditioners can cost a great deal in electricity, and high costs in repair and maintenance fees.
Keep your unit in good condition to lengthen the life of your air conditioner. Here are some helpful AC hacks to make the most of your air conditioner, while saving you money:
1. Use Dryer Sheets to Freshen Up the Room
Using dryer sheets as air fresheners is an easy, inexpensive way to freshen up your room and give it a pleasant scent. Place a scented dryer sheet over your air conditioning filter, and run your air conditioning unit. The scent of the dryer sheet would circulate through the air, leaving a pleasant smell around your room.
Make sure the dryer sheet is thin enough for ample air flow to pass through, otherwise, covering the filter or air conditioner vents with any other thicker material would restrict air circulation and cause your air conditioner to break down. Most dryer sheets available on the market, however, are thin enough for air to be permeable.
2. Clean Your Filters Every Other Week
A clean air conditioner filter lessens the power it takes for the air conditioner to cool down your room, resulting in a lessened electricity billing. Air conditioner filters should be cleaned at least every other week to maintain optimal condition.
To clean your air conditioner filter, unplug your air conditioner and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on removing the filter. Brush away any loose dust and grime, then wash under running water with a bit of mild soap until the filter gets its original colour back. Wipe dry, or completely air dry, before replacing it on your unit.
3. Turn the Temperature Up
When the room temperature is at a comfortable level, adjust your air conditioner to turn the temperature up a couple of degrees. Turning the temperature up a few degrees would not affect the overall feel of your room, but would save you funds in your electricity bill over time.
Turning the temperature up wouldn’t make much of a difference when you turn the thermostat a few notches higher, especially when your room temperature is already cold enough to be comfortable. Alternatively, turning your temperature down a few degrees when using the heater function during cold weather follows the same concept.
4. Close Off Unused Adjacent Rooms
Air conditioners typically have a limited area wherein the unit can effectively cool. Any space bigger would cause the air conditioner to use more energy to cool down the bigger space. If you have adjacent rooms, close them off using partitions or doors while using your air conditioner so your AC unit won’t have to cool those areas as well.
For instance, if you have a bathroom adjacent to your room, close the door before turning on your air conditioner so that your AC unit won’t have to cool down your bathroom as well. For any room, close the windows and doors to keep the cooled air contained in a small, closed, space.
5. Use Energy-Saving Settings
Most newer versions of air conditioners have energy-saving features and settings that you can utilize to make the most of your unit without breaking the bank. Energy-saving features are typically less electricity guzzling than normal settings, and are easy on the AC unit as well. Energy-saving features make little to no noticeable difference in cooling ability.
Check your air conditioner pamphlet for the energy-saving feature, which may be under eco-friendly settings, energy-efficient settings, or other alternative names. You may find the feature on your AC remote or on the control pad of your AC unit.
6. Keep Contact with Reputable Aircon Servicing
Every homeowner should know that there is no avoiding aircon servicing. In fact, air conditioners should be serviced at least once every 6 months to keep the unit in good condition. Other than servicing, repairs are expensive, but keeping a reputable servicing company can save you dollars’ worth in replacement costs in the long run.
A good aircon company should be able to handle all your aircon needs – from buying, to general servicing, to repairs and chemical wash. Have a designated company on hand for any of your air conditioning issues, and for when it’s time to have your unit cleaned.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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