Save energy with your air conditioner this summer with these tips!
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Residents in Cairns, Australia enjoy a short and mild winter compared to other countries around the world. The first day of the season is fast approaching on June 1st of this year. The suggestion, however, is that air conditioning systems should not be turned off completely, just brought to a higher temperature.
You can discuss the correct setting with your service professional, who should carry out an annual assessment at the change of season. Hopefully, as a homeowner, you have had standard year-round maintenance, including filter changes, to ensure the system is running at maximum functionality. The service technician checks the nuances to identify and fix possible errors before they become bigger (and expensive) problems. This is the ideal resource for providing tips on how to cut your energy bills in the coming season.
This is how you maintain a reduced energy level over the winter
For the residents of Australia, winters are relatively pleasant for them. But if your summer is hot, mid winter can be a little chilly. Even so, the air conditioning must remain on in winter instead of turning it off. The setting needs to be adjusted, but this should be clarified with your Cairns air conditioning service professional, who should carry out the annual check at the start of the new season. These measures are preventive in order to avoid extensive repairs and to save costs for these considerable repairs. Also, you must maintain the system year-round with the homeowner's normal maintenance to keep the system working properly. When performing the annual assessment, the technician will recommend ways to avoid high energy costs throughout the winter. Some of the tips include:
Let the light come in
Australia is fortunate that the sunshine prevails even in the cooler months. Keeping the windows clear of obstructions to allow the rays to get into the house will warm the inside of the house with more work for the air conditioner as long as the setting is appropriate. This means the air conditioning will work less and your home will stay warm with no energy bills. Vitamin D is also beneficial for the overall health of the family, pets, and any plants you have in the home. Make the best use of solar energy.
Cover the floor with your favorite carpets
Often times, hearing loss can be attributed to uncovered floors of up to 10%. If you have tile or wood, you need to consider finding nice rugs to cover the surfaces and trap the heat. Cold floors can make the house as a whole frosty, but a nice, shaggy rug can make your feet feel toasted and prevent the cold from getting into the atmosphere.
Cloudy days cover the windows
While you may want to let in the rays of the sun to warm your home, on cloudy days you need to close all the blinds, curtains, even the shutters and glass on the doors. Thermal conductivity increases, which means the heat can escape and the air conditioner works that much harder to maintain its temperature. For those who have standard curtains on their windows, consider investing in heavily lined options, using a shutter system, or even opting for heavy blinds for days like this. Systems of this type offer much better protection and save more energy than a standard set of curtains.
Minimize the area you want to heat
Most people should already know how much space your energy needs to work, but many don't usually think about it. It really is the most effective cost-saving technique because the less space you need to work, the less energy it consumes. That means closing off rooms that you don't use, blocking entrances that are exposed to an excessive amount of air. If you have two floors but rarely use the second floor, try crouching on the first level and closing the second if you are able to do so for the winter season.
Find and eliminate the drafts
Cold drafts lead to a drastic reduction in room temperatures. It is important to go from room to room, see if and where the designs came from, and try to resolve these situations. If there are significant gaps under the doors, use a door snake and check the windows to make sure the seals around the sills are intact. Any repairs or improvements that you can make before the start of the season will improve your energy consumption tremendously because the bigger the draft, the better the device will work.
Take a look at your filters
When your split system or duct unit is dirty it is extremely difficult to take in enough air with much more energy than necessary. It is important that the filters are clean in order for the system to operate at optimal capacity and efficiency. This is part of a homeowner's standard year-round maintenance. A filter does not have to be changed longer than every 30 days, but optimally every month in order to achieve incredible efficiency. Find out how to maintain your air conditioner here.
While you are taking care of regular homeowner-level maintenance, it is important to ensure that you hire a service technician for an annual assessment. The service detects potential errors related to the complications of the system in order to find problems before they become significant problems.
Last thought
Cairns residents are looking for ways to save on energy bills, especially given the fact that their air conditioning does not stop working all year round, only cranking it up in winter to cope with the chilly weather conditions. It is important to hire a service technician to determine a suitable temperature for your air conditioner for the winter months so that you can save on energy costs and give you tips on further cost savings.
Lots of tips will help you in your endeavor, but the right professional will determine where problems can arise and fix them before they become bigger problems or huge costs. This link will tell you if you need a repair or a replacement. There are many ways to save energy, but the most important steps are homeowner upkeep and annual professional maintenance.