5 Ways to Maximize the Power of Your Air Conditioner | Columbia HVAC PDX
Written by Columbia HVAC

5 Ways to Maximize the Power of Your Air Conditioner

Air conditioners are certainly a life saver during the hot summer months. However, sometimes running your air conditioner  24/7 isn’t the most economical or environmentally friendly way to operate. Save money and stay cool by utilizing these simple tips to maximize the efficiency and power of your air conditioner.

1. Supplement with fans
Ceiling fans, free-standing tower fans, and even small desktop fans can help circulate the cold air flowing from your air conditioner. Fans can also help enhance the cooling effect of your A/C and will increase comfort on particularly hot days.

2. Weatherize to prevent air leakage
Prevent cold air from escaping cracks and crevices in your doors and windows by ensuring your home is properly weatherized for the summer months. Even taking small steps like replacing old caulking and adding weather stripping, will help keep your home cool and save money on utility bills.

3. Keep windows shut and doors open
Getting fresh air into your home can be great and sometimes it makes more sense to open up your windows, rather than turn on the A/C. But, it’s less efficient to do both at the same time. Delay opening your windows until the weather cools off or during cooler nighttime hours. If you’re running your air conditioner, keep your windows shut. Avoid trapping air into various rooms of your home and create air flow by leaving interior doors open.

4. Replace your filter
Regularly replacing the filter on your unit is crucial to maintaining an efficient air conditioner. Replacing the filter helps prolong the life of your air conditioner and can lower it’s overall energy consumption by 5-10%. On average, the filter should be changed every 30-45 days.

5. Keep up on yearly maintenance
Scheduling regular maintenance for your air conditioner is one of the best preventative steps you can take to ensure your A/C is running at peak performance levels. Getting an A/C tune up from our staff of HVAC professionals at Columbia Heating & Cooling means fewer costly repairs and maintenance down the line.

Hot summer weather is upon us! Give Columbia Heating & Cooling a call today for any of your A/C needs.