ENERGY
SUPER SAVERS-Tips for your Air Conditioner
Weather in
the good ol' summertime puts quite a strain on everybody's pocketbook because
of the money it costs to air condition our homes. In fact, about 50% of
the total we spend on utility bills in the summer months goes for cooling.
While there's nothing we can do to control the weather, there are lots of
things we can do to lower our cooling costs, starting with the AC system
itself.
First, start
off each month with a clean filter. If yours' is the throw-away king, replace
it. If it's a permanent filter, clean it. Let the monthly utility bill be
your reminder. A clogged filter cuts way down on the amount of cold air
that your unit can deliver.
Check the outside
components of your cooling system. The compressor is inside of this unit
and is surrounded on two or three sides with "fins" that encase
coils. A fan in the middle pulls air through these fins to aid in cooling
those coils. If there is something blocking the air flow, like grass clippings,
weeds, vines, or pet hair, your compressor is having to work harder and
could just give up! That's an expensive replacement that you can not do
on your own. You can avoid this by first, turning off the entire system
at the circuit breaker box and simply cleaning the fins. Water pressure
from the garden hose will do it. Give it time to dry before turning the
power back on.
While you can't
control the heat outside, you can control the temperature inside your house
with the thermostat. By setting it up to 78-degrees (F) you can still feel
comfortable while saving some energy. For each degree below that economy
setting, you'll increase your cooling costs by 8%! That means if you set
if down to 72-degrees, it's costing you 48% more to run.
With these
simple steps involving practically no outlay of case, you can cash in on
big summer savings!
Watch for more
energy-saving tips soon! |