Want to Stay Cool? Check out These AC Don'ts

Can you believe summer is nearly here? It seems like we were just trying to stay warm through winter, and now we’re concerned with keeping our homes cooler! Despite the fact that most of us all have to deal with high temperatures and tight budgets, there are a few common errors you want to avoid in a summer heatwave.

Don’t set your thermostat lower to help the house cool faster.
In most homes, the AC unit only has one fan speed—it’s either on or off. That means the temperature adjusts at a set rate of speed. So setting the thermostat to 60 won’t get you to 70 any faster.

Don’t turn off the AC while you’re gone.
If you’re away from home, you certainly don’t want to pay for needless AC. But when you come home and turn the system back on, it will take a lot of energy for your AC to get your hot house back down to a comfortable temperature. The best solution is to utilize a programmable thermostat, which will let your house stay warmer through the day, and gradually lower it to the right temperature before you return. If you adjust the temperature up just 10 degrees while you’re out, a programmable thermostat can save you up to 10 percent on your annual bills.

Don’t run ceiling fans in empty rooms.
Ceiling fans cool people by creating a wind-chill effect, but they can’t cool down rooms, because they don’t impact temperature. You can use your ceiling fans in conjunction with your AC system to let you comfortably raise the thermostat several degrees, but you should always turn your ceiling fans off whenever you exit the room.

Don’t close the vents on your central AC.
Typical central air systems work to distribute air throughout an entire home. If you close a register, the system will continue to use energy to cool that space—but the cool air will remain in your ducts. In the end, you can overwork and damage your system. If you have a big house but only want to keep a single room cool, consider a ductless mini-split system.