8 common mistakes for AC usage that cause high electricity bills

Kamla Villanueva Kamla Villanueva
Winchmore Hill, London, Maxlight Maxlight Puertas y ventanas de estilo moderno
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Have you ever been shocked by how expensive your electricity bill got for a certain month? Of course, summers can get really hot, especially in tropical countries, which is why the use of air conditioning tends to be more frequent than usual. In some cases however, people tend to unconsciously commit mistakes on its proper usage. These errors involve raising electricity bills that also affect your budget and may consequentially reduce the lifespan of your appliance. It could also have negative effects on the environment, more so, to public health and safety.

Homify has listed down these common mistakes that you should avoid when operating air conditioners. Of course, when health and safety is concerned, it should be out top priority in order for us to protect our family from danger.

The best temperature in terms of thermal comfort for humans is 25 degrees Celsius, and it is the best grades to maintain the air conditioner as well as to maintain the bill of electricity to a minimum.

1. Temperature settings

Studies have shown that the human body can adapt to different temperatures in a week or two. Your body may be accustomed to low temperature but you can acclimate it to a certain degree higher. By setting a higher degree of temperature for your air conditioner, you also get to reduce the energy consumption. It would save you approximately 1.5% on energy for each degree hotter. 

2. Clean the filter regularly

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The air filter must be cleaned every three months and once a month if the machine is full at work on a daily basis. A dirty filter can cause poor ventilation, which may affect the efficiency of some indoor units, and may increase your electricity consumption by 5% -15% and can even affect the lifespan of your device. Having a dirty filter may also be hazardous to the health of your family if not cleaned regularly.

3. Annual maintenance

It is important to take care of the maintenance of your machine annually by a mechanic/specialist to ensure that it works properly in addition to cleaning its complex parts.

4. Covering the air conditioner

Covering the air conditioner with a curtain or decorative elements makes the AC less efficient, in fact it makes the devise work twice as hard than is necessary and may cause you to adjust the settings just to get the desired temperature.

5. Using a fan

Having the fan turned on with the air conditioner is running is especially important in large areas. Instead of lowering the temperature, you can use the fan to create a stream of air to spread throughout the house. It has the ability to give you a feeling of a temperature of 4 or 5 degrees lower.

6. Operate air conditioner in empty rooms

Forgetting to close the windows and the doors while the AC is one of the most common mistakes that people make. All you have to do is to train your family members to make sure that the room is closed while it is on so as not to waste energy.

7. Do not adjust the air conditioner in the middle of the night

During the night, the temperature of the atmosphere naturally goes down which is why you do not need to change the settings of your AC at nighttime compared to the afternoon. Also, during sleep, the body has a greater ability to tolerate higher degrees. If your conditioner has a sleep mode, make sure it is turned on during sleep and gives you the ability to change the temperature that suits you.

8. Avoid or lessen elements that increase the heat in the room

Winchmore Hill, London Maxlight Puertas y ventanas de estilo moderno

You should be mindful of certain elements that contribute to the heat inside the room. Items with high heat signatures are the enemies of your air conditioner. An example would be the large windows that receives direct sunlight in the afternoon. In this case you may opt to use blinds to prevent having your AC overexert itself. You can also close the curtains to participate in reducing the rate of leakage of heat from the outside to the inside and vice versa.

Also avoid running ovens at high temperatures to avoid increasing the home temperature.

For more home tips: 6 tips to increase your home's value

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