It goes without saying that it’s been a little hot in our area recently! While summers are never cold, we’re definitely not used to the extreme heat we’ve been experiencing in recent weeks (with more to come). So we would completely understand your temptation to blast your air conditioner at the lowest temperature possible. This could actually be doing more harm than good to your air conditioner, while not doing much at all to improve your comfort.
We’re going to dive into the why of this below, as well as how managing your AC needs efficiently can help you avoid the need for air conditioning repair in Eugene, OR. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need urgent air conditioning service, please don’t hesitate to give our number a call.
Don’t Set the Thermostat Too Low!
First and foremost, let’s talk about your thermostat settings. Did you know that to maintain adequate comfort, you really only need to set your thermostat around 78°F? Many homeowners and household occupants set it way lower than that—around 72°F—thinking that it will help their home cool down faster. They often do this after being gone all morning and having their air conditioners off the entire day. This is not the way to go!
Your air conditioner uses the most power when the compressor starts up. The compressor, the heart of your air conditioner, is what’s responsible for actually allowing the cooling process. Let’s say you get home and turn your AC on with this low setting. The compressor will cycle on and run until it’s able to meet that temperature. Because it’s such a low temperature though, it will have to keep cycling on as long as you have your air conditioner on.
On the other hand, if you program your air conditioner around 78°F at the beginning of the day, it won’t cycle on until it reaches that temperature, and the compressor won’t have to run as long or as often to reach that temperature.
Close the Curtains and Blinds
In our part of Oregon, we don’t often think about how much ambient heat we bring into our homes during the summer. During the winter, of course, it’s wonderful to open your blinds and let the sunshine in for some natural warmth. But we often don’t realize how much heat that adds in the warmer months! Consider keeping your curtains and blinds closed during the day, particularly on south-facing windows. This will help keep your home stay cooler for longer, preventing your air conditioner from cycling on before you really need it to.
Schedule Maintenance!
Did you have spring maintenance done on your air conditioner? Maintenance tune-ups allow our technicians to inspect, clean, and adjust components that need it. This not only helps your system work efficiently, but helps us spot small problems so you can get repairs on your schedule before those small problems turn into big emergencies!
For your air conditioning needs, look no further than Comfort Flow Heating. Contact us today!
