If you’re like most homeowners, you likely would never turn down the opportunity to save money, right? Particularly when it comes to your utility and energy bills. In addition to these sometimes costly monthly bills, when it comes to your HVAC systems you also have the cost of maintenance, repair, and even eventual replacement to consider.

The good news is there are some steps you can take to go ahead and boost your air conditioner’s efficiency and in turn lower your monthly bills, even if you have an older air conditioner (one that is 10-15 years old). If you think your air conditioner is struggling efficiency-wise, don’t let it continue.

Read on as we uncover some tips below to get your air conditioner behaving as efficiently as possible.

Most of the lighting in your home throws at least a little bit of heat, at the very least. If all the lights are on in a single room, then it can easily add a couple of degrees of heat to that room. If you truly need your lighting, consider installing a dimmer switch to keep the light level as low as possible.

When your home is not being heated by its own lighting, your air conditioner won’t need to run as often or as long, and therefore won’t need to use as much energy.

A ceiling fan on its own is not capable of lowering the temperature of a room. You may be able to stand right under it and feel cooled down, but this is because the fan is helping sweat evaporate off of you, thereby helping your body cool off. So, why do we recommend using them?

Well, because they help circulate air better. So if you’re running your air conditioner and using your ceiling fans, you’re going to feel even cooler than just running your air conditioner alone. This means you can actually turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees and save energy.

Even a couple of degrees of change on the thermostat saves more energy than using your ceiling fans on their highest setting!

While summer does mean that you get to enjoy the ambient light coming in through the windows, this light comes from the sun, and naturally, the sun gives off some radiant heat! Letting the sunshine into your south-facing windows means that these rooms will heat up a lot faster than they otherwise would.

By closing your curtains and even your blinds, you can shield those rooms in your home from the warm rays of the sun, and help your air conditioner work more efficiently.

Is your air conditioner around the 10-15 year mark in age? This is pretty old for an air conditioner, and that old age means that your system can’t possibly work as efficiently as it did when you first had it installed.

Today’s systems are designed to be even more efficient than those of just a handful of years ago. Sometimes the best thing you can to do boost efficiency is to replace your current air conditioner with a new one! Speak to our staff today and we’ll help you make an educated decision on which one to get.

Greenleaf Heating & Cooling is your trusted resource for quality air conditioning service and more. Contact us today!