As the months get warmer, you’ll likely find yourself cranking up the air conditioner to provide your home with cool air. During these warmer months, air conditioners will often use more electricity than any other appliance in your home. This can cause your energy bills to go through the roof. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of bad air conditioning habits!

Below, we take a look at five air conditioning mistakes to avoid:

1. Running an AC Unit that’s too big

Going big isn’t always the best option. An oversized air conditioning system won’t cool your home faster. In fact, it will be less efficient because it will tend to cycle on and off rapidly. Replacing it with a smaller system that fits the size of your home better will provide more efficient cooling and lower energy bills.

2. Installing your air conditioner somewhere hot

An air conditioner operates best under a shady spot on the north or east side of a house. Here, it will be hit by less of the sun’s rays, allowing it to work far more efficiently. If your air conditioner is in direct sunlight, the condenser coil will have a harder time cooling the air, causing it to stay on longer and work harder in order to reach the temperature that you’ve set.

3. Foregoing maintenance

You simply can’t get away with ignoring your air conditioner — no matter how self-sufficient it may look. Replacing filters and cleaning the evaporator coil will extend your unit’s lifespan. The longer that you’re able to keep your existing air conditioner working at its peak, the more money that you’ll save in the long run. We recommend contacting an HVAC company each spring to schedule maintenance for your AC system.

4. Keeping temperatures very low

Most people can be comfortable at or around 78 degrees. Don’t set the thermostat to 70 degrees in an effort to cool your home faster! Leaving the system at even a couple degrees higher than usual will allow the system to run less, saving you money on energy bills.

5. Not using ceiling fans

Utilizing ceiling fans can lead to huge energy savings. We’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: Running a ceiling fan can make you feel up to 6 degrees cooler. This means you can set the thermostat to 80 degrees, and yet you’ll feel like it’s just 74 degrees. Setting your thermostat higher will allow it to run less, and you’ll still stay cool by using your ceiling fans.

Don’t fall victim to these common mistakes! Otherwise, you could end up with a tired air conditioner and high energy bills.

Contact Rusk Heating & Cooling

Rusk Heating & Cooling knows how important it is to keep your family safe and sound from the hot Cincinnati, OH area heat. If your air conditioning system ever breaks down or it’s time for you to schedule maintenance for the system, don’t hesitate to give us a call or schedule an appointment online. Our professional technicians are experienced in all aspects of air conditioning installation, repair, and maintenance and will provide your system with the service and attention that you deserve.