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If you have an air conditioning system in your home, you know that it can be expensive to run. The best way to combat the high energy bills is to make sure that your system is running as efficiently as it possibly can. We’re going to share with you some great tips to ensure that your system is running to its best ability.

Keep Your Vents Open

Each room throughout your home has vents that are attached to the ducting. This is how the air flows in and out of your air conditioning system and cools down your home. It’s crucial that every one of the events throughout your home has free airflow. This means there should be nothing up against the vent or directly in front of the vent as this can hinder its ability to dispersed air or pull in hot air from inside of each room.

Test Your Thermostat

If you’re looking for a hands-on way to test the efficiency of your air conditioning system, then you need to test your thermostat. You’ll need a thermometer that you can place on the supply register that is closest to your air conditioning unit. Let the thermometer sit there for about 5 minutes to get an accurate temperature reading.

Repeat the same process, but this time you want to put the thermometer on the return vent. Once you get both readings, you want to calculate the difference between the two. There should be a good 15 degrees difference between the air temperatures of the supply register and the return vent.

Clean the Coils

As your air conditioning system works, air is blown over the evaporator coils. The heat is transferred out of the air and into the refrigerant inside the coil. In addition, water drops form on the evaporator coil as it removes excess humidity from the air. Then, the refrigerant gets pumped outside to your outdoor condenser unit, where it enters the condenser coil. As air flows over the condenser coil, it disperses the heat from it.

With the combination of constant airflow and moisture, the coils inside of your air conditioning system are exposed to a lot of debris. As debris builds up on top of the coils, it makes them less effective at doing their job because it blocks the transfer of heat. Cleaning your coils on a regular basis can help to ensure that your coils are transferring as much heat as possible.

Be Mindful of Direct Sunlight

Direct sunlight can heat up any room in your home very quickly. Whenever this happens, it forces your air conditioning system to turn on to cool down your home. This constant battle between the heat from the direct sunlight and the coolness from the air conditioning system can go on all day long and cost you a pretty penny in energy bills.

To combat this problem, it’s best to block out any direct sunlight that comes into your home throughout the day. You can do this with curtains, blackout filters, and even blinds.

Keep Your Condenser Unit Clean

An imperative component of your air conditioning system is the outdoor condenser unit. In order for this unit to work correctly, it needs to have a good two feet of open space around it. This allows the air from the outdoors to flow through the condenser unit and remove the heat inside of it.

Any debris that is stuck up against the side of the condenser unit can block the openings in it. You want to check your condenser unit every couple of weeks and remove any debris that has blown against it. Also, be mindful of tree limbs that are hanging too low and shrubs that have become overgrown.

Change Your Filter Often

If you’ve taken the time to read any online recommendations about changing your air conditioning system’s air filter, you’ve likely heard that it needs to be changed every three months. The reality is that in the summertime, your filter needs to be changed more often.

You should aim to check it at least once a month. If you have a large number of people living in your home or multiple pets, you may need to change your filter every couple of weeks. It’s best to pull the filter out of its housing and hold it up to a light source. If you can’t see through the filter, then it’s time to replace it.

Choice AC Service

Jco Heating A/C Electrical provides quality air conditioning services for the Springfield, OR, region. We can also assist you with heating, cooling, indoor air quality, real estate inspection, and property management services. Simply give us a call today!