Air conditioning in Florida is a necessity of life. Unless you enjoy experiencing how our ancestors lived a hundred years ago, you probably prefer the air inside your home or office to be cool, clean, dry, and filtered.
But just because air conditioning is essential to a comfortable Floridian life, it doesn’t mean you should be paying an arm and a leg for it. In fact, there are simple steps you can take to ensure you are getting the maximum cool for minimum bucks.
Identify Places You Are Losing Cool Air
Start with the obvious ones. Do you remember how your parents used to say something like, “Close the door/window! I’m not paying to cool the outside!”? While you may have rolled your eyes at the time, it is true that cool air escaping through open doors and windows is air that is no longer cooling your house.
Make sure you keep doors and windows closed while running your A/C. This will also prevent hot air from coming in, which causes your system to be overworked as it constantly compensates for the added heat.
Once you’ve handled open doors and windows, search for less obvious leakage points. Poorly sealed doors and windows are almost as bad as open ones. Shoddy insulation is another usual culprit.
Invest In A Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is far superior to a manual one when it comes to saving money while keeping your house cool. Why?
A smart thermostat is programmable, so you can set it to slightly higher temperatures when the space is not in use. Higher temperatures take less energy from your air conditioning unit, saving you money.
Check Your Location
The location of your thermostat is just as important as whether or not it is “smart”. If you place the thermostat right next to a door (where the temperature is likely to spike every time it is opened) or in direct sunlight, you are going to tax your system unnecessarily. Instead, place your thermostat where the temperature is more likely to stay constant.
The location of your cooling unit is also important. Is it in direct sunlight? Next to something that is going to clog it up with debris (like a bush, your garbage, etc.)? If this is the case, a Poulin Cooling technician can advise you on a better location.
Make Use Of Blinds And Curtains On Windows That Face The Sun
Preventing excess sunshine from entering your property during the heat of the day is just good sense. You want to avoid a situation in which your air conditioner is constantly fighting a losing battle with the sun.
To save extra wear on your cooling system and extra dollars in your energy bill, ensure your blinds are down and tilted so that the blades are facing out and angled up. This will reflect the sun back out instead of allowing it in. You can also pull curtains shut in rooms you are not using.
Regular Maintenance
And of course, regular maintenance is the best way to save money in the long run. Catching small problems before they grow into costly repairs is the name of the game. Cleaning out any debris or build-up before it can cause a blockage will ensure your A/C keeps functioning normally.
Poulin Cooling offers all necessary maintenance and repair services to a wide variety of cooling systems. Our trained specialists know just what to look for and have your comfort as their number one priority.
As you can see, it is quite easy to ensure you aren’t spending a fortune on air conditioning. Enjoy the cool in these hot summer months without worrying about the hit to your wallet!