6 Ways to Boost the Efficiency of Your Home's Air Conditioning System

During a hot summer, using your home air conditioning system can lead to large energy bills. By making your air conditioning system work more efficiently, you can reduce your energy spending without sweltering in the heat. Use these tips to boost cooling efficiency and keep your power usage low:

1. Insulate Your Home

Insulation isn't only useful for keeping your home warm in winter. During the summer months, hot air can seep into a poorly insulated home, sending indoor temperatures soaring. By sealing up gaps around windows and doors, you can reduce heat transfer between the interior of your home and the outside world. You can also install insulating materials in your crawl spaces and attic to further insulate your home.

2. Automatically Turn Off Your Air Conditioning

When you're in a rush, it is easy to run out of the house and leave your air conditioning system running. Unfortunately, this simple mistake can waste a huge amount of energy. Install and use a timer that can turn off your air conditioning system automatically at certain times of day, such as just after you leave for work.

3. Use Your Thermostat

Instead of turning on the air conditioner when you feel hot and leaving it running until you start to feel chilly, use a thermostat to control the temperature of your home. A thermostat can automatically monitor the indoor temperature and turn your air conditioning on and off as necessary to keep you comfortable, which is usually much more efficient than controlling the air conditioning system manually.

4. Don't Obstruct the Air Conditioner

Air conditioners can only work efficiently if air flows freely through the rooms you want to cool. Examine the area around the outlet of your cooling unit to see whether any items are blocking airflow. Move armchairs, sofas, bookcases, and other large items away from the outlet to allow the cool air to move freely into the room.

5. Cool Only the Rooms You Use

If you only use certain parts of your home during the summer, there is no point in wasting energy keeping the other rooms cool. Close doors to block off airflow from rooms you don't use.

6. Service Your Air Conditioner

Air conditioning units can't run efficiently when they have faulty parts, dirty filters, or dust clogging up the machinery. If your air conditioner isn't working as well as it used to, hire an air conditioning service to diagnose and fix problems with the appliance.