Top 7 Make Your Air Conditioner Work More Efficiently

By: Jeffrey Orloff - http://saveenergy.about.com/od/homecooling/tp/ac_usage.htm

Summertime means running the air conditioner non-stop. When the temperatures heat up, the efficiency of our air conditioners drop dramatically. There are some steps that you can take that will ease the burden on your home's air conditioner to help it run more efficiently and at a great savings on your energy bill.

1) Leave the Thermostat Alone
Many people are good about leaving the air conditioner at 78 degrees F. Some even take it upon themselves to set the temperature even higher when there is no one at home. If you make this a practice in your house, make sure that no one drops the temperature below 78 in order to cool the house down faster. The air conditioner cools at the same rate no matter the setting. Adjusting the temperature to 70 degrees will not help your house get to 78 degrees any faster than if it were left at 78.

2) Keep The Curtains Closed
Natural light can help reduce your lighting costs, however when no one is in a room it is best to keep the curtains closed during the day. This is especially true for houses with windows on the eastern and western sides. Keeping the sun's direct rays from entering the house helps reduce the amount of effort your air conditioner puts forth to keep the house cool. To maximize this, open the drapes. blinds, or curtains in the evening to allow heat to escape through the windows of your house.

3) Turn On a Fan
In some climates, you can turn the air conditioner off at night and just let ceiling or floor fans provide cool air for your comfort. The energy used by a fan is far less than that of the air conditioner.

If you live in a warmer climate, fans can still provide a comfortable breeze. Using the fans at night may allow you to set the air conditioner above 78 degrees saving a great deal of energy. Fans can also help move cool air around the house to ease the work load of the air conditioner.

4) Get Rid of Hot Air
Use an exhaust fan when cooking to help expel hot air from the house. If you don't have an exhaust fan, cool the room by setting up a floor fan in the kitchen while cooking. The fan not only cools the air, but can also help move it out of the kitchen.

5) Use the Dehumidifier
When people say, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity," they are right. If you have a dehumidifier turn it on when the temperature rises. Ridding your house of the humidity will help make your family feel more comfortable. You may even be able to set your air conditioner above 78 degrees when using a dehumidifier combined with fans.

6) Keep Your Air Conditioner Out of the Sun
The ideal location for a central air conditioning unit is on the north side of a house. While this may not be practical in every case, the general idea of keeping the unit out of the sun can be achieved in other ways.

Landscaping does more than make your yard look nice. By planting shrubs or trees around your air conditioning unit, you can help it cool your home more efficiently. The shade from this landscaping can also be used to keep the sun's direct rays off your home!

7) Save Chores for the Right Time
While cooking can heat up the kitchen, so can using the dishwasher to dry the dishes. Clothes dryers located in the house can have the same effect. These tasks are better left for the evening time or, better yet, when no one is home.

Taking on labor intensive tasks can also make you feel uncomfortable during the hottest times of the day. If possible, do them in the evening or the early morning when the heat isn't so bad.