By Variable Comfort Solutions
There’s no getting around it: operating your air conditioning system is expensive. However, certain mistakes make maintaining your comfort even more costly. Here are three ways you’re inadvertently spiking your energy bills.
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Setting the Temperature Too Low
We understand that some of you like it cold, but setting your thermostat as low as it can go isn’t necessary. Turning the dial down on your AC after returning to a stuffy home may seem like an effective way to quickly cool down your house, but this won’t bring faster relief. Your AC will produce the same volume of air whether the thermostat is set at 78 degrees or 68 degrees.
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Closing Vents to Unoccupied Rooms
It makes sense to turn out the light when you leave a room. It doesn’t make sense to close the vent when you leave a room. Your AC isn’t like a light bulb. It will continue to produce the same volume of air whether or not the vent is closed. At best, closing a vent will only redirect the air elsewhere. At worst, a closed vent will increase pressure in the system, causing air leaks and wear and tear.
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Skipping Maintenance
When you forget to take care of your A/C unit, you may be losing some of its efficiency. At Variable Comfort Solutions, we offer maintenance and repair services so that your system is in top condition before the warm season begins. When all issues are fixed, you will enjoy peak performance. Your unit will not have to work as long or as hard to cool your home. Routine maintenance will help to detect small problems before they become major headaches as well.
Lowering your thermostat below its usual setpoint will only make the AC run longer, driving up your energy bills.
Your best approach: set it and forget it. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees as the best temperature for both your comfort and budget.
Leave all vents open to allow your AC system to distribute air evenly throughout the home.
To avoid the above mistakes and other common errors that raise your monthly cooling expenses, consult with the experts at Variable Comfort Solutions. For more tips that will keep your A/C running efficiently and that will help to lower your utility bills, call us at 304-443-9255.
