Increase Return Air Vents
If your air conditioner doesn’t seem to be cooling efficiently and you believe you might have to buy an upgraded AC, there may be good news for you. specifically if you live in an older house, consider adding cold air returns to your existing ventilation. Quite a few older homes were designed without the knowledge of how critical air returns were. Some were built for heat only and as a result don’t have a duct system developed to provide adequate circulation. Adding additional returns will not only allow additional air into your home giving you better air flow overall, you will probably notice less noise, fewer air conditioner repairs, and even smaller power bills. But most of all, you’ll be a lot more comfortable in the stifling heat of summer.
Buy an Attic Ventilator
Check to see if you have sufficient ventilation in your attic. Most houses do, but again, more mature houses may not. Because warm air floats up, your attic can hold tremendous amounts of heat. This makes it harder for your AC unit to cool the rest of the house below. An attic ventilator not only expels hot air out of the house, it brings cooler air into your attic. This not only reduces the temperature by physically moving the hotter air out, it also helps your AC operate more effectively. That means you’ll save on power bills and be more comfortable.
Buy a Digital Thermostat
One of the smartest things you can do to save money on your AC bills is to install a digital thermostat. They’re not pricey (normally ranging from $25 all the way up to over $100 for fancy touch-screen versions). Programmable thermostats make it effortless to program a cooling routine that fits your family’s lifestyle. You can nudge the temperature higher a bit at night, boost it up to 15 degrees throughout the day if no one is at home and also bump it up while you’re away on holiday for a week or more. The wonderful thing is that you can program your AC to turn back on and start cooling before you arrive home so you don’t have to spend a minute being uncomfortable. Plus, not only will it save you in the summer, but it operates just as well in the the winter season to lower your heating costs. For a small investment, a programmable thermostat can quite possibly save you a whole bunch over the course of a year.
