Your air conditioner is a household necessity in order to comfortably weather the Australian summers. Even though using it can boost your utility bills, there are ways to save energy, too.
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Move your furniture
If your furniture is obstructing the flow of cool air as it comes from your air conditioning ducts, it could make your house feel warmer than you like. Moving furniture so that cool air can circulate in the room will help.
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Insulate your ducts
Do you know where your ducting system runs through your house? If some parts of it are in areas that don’t have air conditioning, make sure the duct work is properly insulated to keep the air inside as cool as possible.
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Opt for a split system instead
A split system allows you to cool a particular area rather than the entire home like you would if a ducted cooling system would.
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Close off unused vents
If there are rooms that you won’t be cooling and you have a ducted system, try closing off the vents in those rooms to prevent wasted energy.
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Turn the thermostat up at night
Try experimenting with turning the thermostat up at night when you’re sleeping your body likely won’t be as conscious of the difference in 26 degrees and 24 degrees but that small change can affect your energy use and utility bill.
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Turn off the lights
Having the lights on can increase the heat in a room so turn them off if they aren’t needed. Another thing to watch out for is natural light from windows. Keep window coverings on those windows that let strong light into a room.
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Raise the thermostat
If raising the thermostat at night hasn’t affected your comfort level, consider raising it during the day. As mentioned before, the change doesn’t have to be drastic. Just increasing it a couple of degrees can reduce your energy use without affecting your comfort.
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Maintain your air conditioning system
Whether you have a split system or a ducted system, having it properly maintained by professionals such as Platinum AC can reduce your energy costs.
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Turn down the thermostat when you’re gone
Install a programmable thermostat and set the temperature lower when you are out of the house.
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Use fans
Using fans or other types of ventilation systems can help circulate cooled air and make you feel more comfortable.
Contact Platinum AC today for installation of thermostats, options for ventilation systems or to have maintenance performed on your air conditioning system.
