Summers, especially in Roswell, GA, can be pretty hot with maximum temperatures ranging anywhere between 85 – 105 °F. Unless you have some mechanism to cool your immediate surroundings, summers can bring you lot of inconvenience. Space cooling becomes a necessity then, and is usually done through either air coolers using water or air conditioners. For air conditioning repair in Roswell, call R.S. Andrews’ Roswell heating and air at 770-882-2757 today.

Before you make your decision to install a cooling system, be aware of the power that each device draws. A medium capacity window air conditioner is generally rated 1.5 kW, an air cooler usually draws 150 W, and a ceiling fan’s rating is usually 60 W. So, a single air conditioner is equivalent 15 coolers and 25 ceiling fans. Study your cooling requirements first and then make a decision based on your budget. Talking in money terms, if you use an air conditioner, you are going to spend 25 times more than a ceiling fan and 15 times more than an air cooler, provided the time of operation remains the same.

Air conditioners contribute nearly 45–50% to the monthly electricity bill for homes and non-industrial commercial installations. So, should you invest in an air-conditioner? I’d say yes. If you use it efficiently, it could easily turn out to be a well-justified and fruitful investment.

Here are a few guidelines that will prevent your electricity bill from shooting up.

Keep Your Air Conditioner Well-Serviced & In A Good Condition

Getting your air conditioner serviced at regular intervals helps to bring your bills down. To keep your air conditioner well maintained, remove and clean its dust filters once every two months. If you live in an area with high particulate matter in atmosphere, do it once a month. When you notice some issue with your air conditioner’s cooling, seek professional help immediately. Note that an air conditioner is a power intensive appliance; every fault can be a potential source of fire. Hence do not delay to get your air conditioner suitably serviced in case it develops some trouble. Do not attempt to service it yourself because of heavy currents involved.

In case you have been successfully using your air conditioner for a long time, consider replacing it with a new one. Investing in a new air conditioner makes sense because of better technology and more efficient cooling available which can bring your electricity bills down by about 40%. Do not forget to make sure that the product you buy has appropriate ratings, such as Energy Star ratings provided jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – such ratings certify that the product is energy efficient product that helps to save money and protect the environment.

Never cool more than necessary

Cooling can be adjusted through the thermostat provided – which can be analog, knob type or digital and remote controlled. The thermostat is perhaps the most important tool in your hands towards efficient use of your air conditioner. You can save a significant amount of energy by choosing the right degree of cooling – set the thermostat as high as is comfortable to you. Remember, more the difference between ambient temperature and the desired temperature, more work your air conditioner needs to do, and hence higher is the energy consumption. I cannot give you a simpler yet more efficient tip than this. Once the space has been cooled sufficiently, avoid introducing any source of heat such as high wattage electricity lamp into the cooled space.

Do not let cooled air escape or leak

It is essential to keep all outlets – and escapes too – of air such as doors, windows, ventilators, chimneys if any, etc. tightly closed for an air conditioner to cool quickly. Doing so would also keep your space cool for longer. A little personal discipline may also come in handy – avoid entering and exiting the cool space too frequently. This is not only energy efficient; it also protects you from falling ill due to frequent temperature variation. Make sure that no cool air is leaked from the cooling ducts of your air conditioner. Inspect once a month and get it serviced or replaced in case you find an escape route for cool air.

Use blinds or curtains to minimize strong, direct sunlight

Simply stop any more heat from entering your cool space, and you’ll be minimizing the effort your air conditioner needs to make towards cooling it. To prevent direct strong sunlight, curtains, drapes, shades or blinds may be used. Covering your windows from outside can also help. Grow shrubs out of your windows, so that only indirect light enters your space. Prevent heat generation within the cool space by keeping all unnecessary electrical appliances off and avoiding use of any heat generating appliances like ovens, toasters, electric irons, etc.

Besides these tips, you may also want to place a shade over your air conditioner. An air conditioner under direct, strong sunlight will consume about 5-10% more energy. Use your air conditioner intermittently – this is generally facilitated by the thermostat. While an air conditioner is definitely an energy-intensive appliance, how you use it is as important towards minimizing your monthly electricity bill.

Heating and Air Brands

Trane, York, Goodman, Bryant, Westinghouse, Amana, Carrier, Lennox, American Standard, Armstrong Air, Ruud, Rheem