• Clear away any growth and debris that has collected around the outside unit so that air flow is not obstructed;
• Trickle your hose over the coils on the outside unit to wash off dirt and pollen to improve cooling efficiency;
• Replace your air filters to increase air flow within your home;
• Turn on your air conditioner now before you need it to make sure it is working properly before the hot weather gets here.

These few simple tips that should be performed every spring will help to save you a lot of potential sweat in the summer and keep your home air conditioners running at top efficiency.

Case in point.  I’m out working on the lawn yesterday and one of my neighbors was out and we started chatting.  Being the air conditioner guy for the neighborhood, the conversations always tend to turn in that direction, so we were discussing our electricity bills and his was more than DOUBLE what mine was for about the same square footage.  Now, you just can not attribute all of your energy consumption issues to air conditioning, but I was interested in learning why he was experiencing such a disparity with his bill and if this is something that occured year round.

We compared our elecricity bills and his only showed the spike that was causing concern in the summer months even though he was running higher that me for the rest of the year also.  We then looked around his place and there were some very obvious problems with very cheap fixes.

• Insulation around the doors and windows were worn out.  You could feel the cool air flowing freely from around the closed doors and windows from the outside.  This can be remedied for less than $5 per door and window.
• The AC filter in the return duct looked like a giant dust ball.  He claims that he replaces the filter quarterly, but I doubt it.  Even if he did, quarterly is not enough in my opinion.  I replace mine monthly to insure that the air is flowing freely.  As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is experiencing some freezing in his line because the AC unit is having to work overtime to compensate for the lack of air flow.  A simple $2 per month will save on a costly air conditioner service call if the line freezes over.
• Looking at the compressor on the side of the house, I see grass growing up into the coils on the bottom, hedge limbs poking into the coils on the side, and pine needles covering the casing on top.  He (and apparently a lot of home owners) don’t understand that the function of these coils is to channel the heat out of the home.  The fan blow air over the coils to cool them down and dispurse the heat.  That’s why when the unit is running and you put you hand over the top you feel hot air.  When the coils are obstructed, the air can not pass over them to get cool which means you are not efficiently pumping the heat out of your home.  Keep the coils clear and unobstructed.  In addition when you air conditioner is NOT RUNNING, take your garden hose and with low water pressure rinse off the coils of accumulated dirts and debris.  This wont cost you anything and will make a world of difference with your electricty bill.

Use Programable Thermostats

A programmable thermostat lets you establish different temperature settings based on the time of the day or in some cases the day of the week.  There’s no need to run your home air conditioners all day long while you’re at work, but turning it off or setting it to an uncomfortably low level during the day is not a good idea either.  You are not saving much if you have to run your air conditioner overtime when you get home to get the temperature and humidity back to a comfortable level.  Use the programing to save while you are away, then gradually lower the temperate back to comfort levels for the time you usually get home.

Zone your Home

By setting up ‘zones’, you will be cooling the occupied areas of your home and saving by not cooling the unoccupied areas.  Creating zones is most effectivly accomplished when installing a new system.  You can save money by installing multiple smaller units for cooling each zone rather than one large central unit for cooling your entire home.  Even if you are not in the process of installing a new system, you can still implement a zoning control system with your existing air conditioning unit by installing a zoning control system.  A zoning control system divides the home into multiplet zones, with a thermostat in each zone. The control system includes automatic dampers that fit into the ducts and a control panel that allows for the feedback of information between the programmable thermostat, indoor climate and damper positions.

Keep the cool air in

Air conditioning is most prone to escape through poorly sealed doors and windows.  Check for worn weather stripping.  Feel around your doors and windows from the outside during the heat of the day.  If you can feel the cool air then it is time to replace your weather stripping and/or caulking.

Keep the heat out
Use landscaping, awnings and overhangs to provide shade around the outside of your home. A shaded house is much easier to cool than one in direct sunlight.  Close your drapes and blinds to keep the sun out. Consider installing reflective films or solar shade screens on windows with the greatest exposure to the summer sun.

Maintain your Air Conditioning Units

Proper maintenance helps your air conditioner run more efficiently. Replace disposable filters or clean permanent filters every few months during the cooling season. It’s a good idea to have your entire system checked annually by a qualified air conditioning contractor.  Clean the outside condenser coils at the beginning and the end of the air conditioning season. Clean the coils with diluted detergent, then rinse them off. Trim back shrubs and remove anything that might obstruct air flow.

By following some common sense energy saving ideas revolving around your home air conditioner, you can effectively save 30% or more of your annaul operating costs.  Who doesn’t want to lower their utility bills?  Take a few dollars from the money you’ve saved by applying these tips and have a cold beer on us!