Air Conditioner Tips

• Increase attic ventilation. Temperatures can exceed 140 degrees in attics that have inadequate ventilation. Solar powered attic fans or attic fans with a thermostat are the two best choices for energy efficiency.
• Circulate air inside the house. Use the furnace fan, ceiling fans or household fans to circulate air - evening the temperatures.
• Keep the sun out. Closing draperies and blinds helps keep rooms cooler by keeping the sun's rays out.
• Plant shade trees. Planting trees on the south and west side of your house lowers the solar radiation exposure, keeping it cooler.
• Turn off the lights. Incandescent lights are a major source of internal heat inside the house.
• Don't bag the air conditioner. Plastic winter covers for the air conditioner keep moisture in, speeding up the rusting and corrosion of the metal in the air conditioner. If falling ice is a problem, cover only the top with a board - such as plywood - cut to size, drill holes in the four corners, and secure with bungee cords.
• Change the filters. Dirty filters restrict airflow, which can lead to the freezing of the evaporator coil. This can cause costly repairs to the air conditioner outside, not to mention the water damage once the ice melts.
• Call early spring for air conditioning maintenance. Once the first heat wave arrives, your air conditioner may or may not work.
• If you are gone for over 4 hours give your air conditioner a break. Programmable thermostats can automatically raise the temperature when no one is home and while you are sleeping, saving you on your electric bill.
• Stop heating your home from the inside. On the hottest summer days, your air conditioning system is working extremely hard to remove the heat as it is continuously absorbed from the sunrays and other forms of radiation. Electric and gas ranges, ovens, dishwashers, and driers all produce excess heat that your air conditioning system must also remove to maintain the desired temperature.
• Annual service is important. The air conditioners fan draws in dirt, debris, cottonwood, and numerous other organic and non-organic things that clog up the coil. Dirty coils reduce the airflow, thus causing the air conditioner to work harder to remove the heat from house. Not only does this increase your energy use, it also strains the compressor, shortening the expected life span of your air conditioner.
• If your dog lifts its leg: KEEP IT AWAY from the air conditioner. If its favorite spot is the air conditioner - you must either plant shrubs or build a fence around the condensing unit to protect it from the acid that eats through the air conditioner's coil in a couple year's time.