How to Properly Use Your A/C During the Summer Months
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Air conditioning use during the summer is ubiquitous in the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 90% of Connecticut residents use air conditioning of some sort, either central or individual units. This is in-line with national statistics finding that 88% of Americans use air conditioning in their homes, up from 77% in 2001.
Use of air conditioning seems pretty basic. Turn it on, right? Well, there’s a little more to it than that. Here are some tips to help you have the most energy efficient and cooling experience when using your A/C in the summer.
Clean Filters & Keep Vents & Thermostats Clear
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the most important maintenance task that impacts the efficiency of your air conditioner—whether it is central air conditioning or one that cools an individual room—is routinely cleaning and/or replacing dirty filters. The D.O.E. reports that replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
In addition, it is important to make sure that the area around air conditioning vents is clear and to keep lamps, tv sets, or other electronic devices and appliances away from the air conditioner’s thermostat. The heat generated from electronic devices and appliances can interfere with the thermostat’s ability to read the temperature of the room. To operate properly, a thermostat must be on an interior wall away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorways, skylights, and windows and in a location where natural room air currents occur (warm air rising, cool air sinking). Furniture will block natural air movement, so do not place pieces in front of or below your thermostat.
More tips about maintaining your air conditioner can be found here.
Set Thermostat as High as is Comfortable & Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
In general, air conditioners will use 1-3% less electricity for every degree higher they are set. To save on energy costs, set your air conditioner's thermostat as high as is comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor air temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
If you turn your room air conditioner off when you leave home, avoid setting your thermostat to a colder setting than normal when you first turn it back on upon returning home. Doing so will not cool your home any faster and may result in unnecessary electricity usage and expense.
Speaking of thermostats, investing in a programmable thermostat (if you have central heat & cooling) or a room-sized air conditioner with a programmable thermostat, allows you to turn on your air conditioner once the room falls below a specified temperature or turn it on at a specified time (say, before you get home from work), rather than leaving it on all day.
According to the Department of Energy, best practices are to keep your house slightly warmer than normal while you are away and lower the thermostat setting once you return home and need cooling. In fact, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat down (in the winter) or up (in the summer) 7° to 10°F from its normal setting.
On Hot, Humid Days Keep A/C Fan Speed on Low
Humidity combined with high temps adds to the discomfort experienced on a hot summer day. This next piece of advice may sound counter-intuitive, but when humidity is high, set your room air conditioner’s fan speed to low. The low speed on humid days will cool your space more effectively and remove more moisture from the air because of the slower air movement through the cooling coils inside of the air conditioner. Less moisture in the air will make you feel cooler and, therefore, more comfortable.
If setting the unit’s fan speed to low makes it hard for your unit to keep up with rising temperatures outside, experiment with raising the fan speed to medium. Just try to avoid the temptation to have the fan speed set to “full blast,” since doing so might prevent you from getting the benefit of dehumidifying your living space.
Have the Proper Sized Air Conditioner for Your Space
Lastly, make sure that you have the proper sized air conditioner for your room. Believe it or not, buying a larger capacity air conditioner than is required for a room won't make you feel more comfortable during hot summer months. In fact, a room air conditioner that's too big for the area in which it is being used will perform less efficiently and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized unit. This is because an oversized unit will cool the room to the thermostat set-point before proper dehumidification occurs. This, in turn, causes the room to feel clammy and uncomfortable. Instead, a smaller unit that runs for an extended period of time operates more efficiently and is more effective at dehumidifying than a large unit that cycles on and off too frequently. Combining the use of air conditioning with a dehumidifier is another option, especially if you have an air conditioner that is not the proper size for the room being cooled or isn’t drawing moisture out of the air effectively.
More information about sizing and selecting a room air conditioner can be found here.
Article Sources:
Today In Energy, U.S. Energy Information Administration
State Air Conditioning Consumption, U.S. Energy Information Administration
Spring & Summer Energy Saving Tips, U.S. Department of Energy
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner, U.S. Department of Energy
Room Air Conditioners, U.S. Department of Energy
Programmable Thermostats, U.S. Department of Energy
Tips to Save Energy During Heat Wave, NBC Connecticut