22/12/2023
Tips To Save Money Running Your Air Conditioner This Summer
We all adore our comfortable spaces, and staying cool during the scorching summer months is a top priority. While keeping your air conditioner running throughout summer is great for beating the heat, it can also come with a bit of a price tag. Let’s explore some ways to save money and make the most of your air conditioner, especially on those extra hot days.
One of the main reasons why your air conditioner may not be cooling as well as it once did can be due to a clogged and dirty filter. Modern residential air conditioners allow for the owner to clean and replace the filter themselves. Check out our simple and easy to follow DIY videos on how to clean the filter in your ducted or wall split air conditioner:
Ford & Doonan also recommend keeping blinds, windows, and external doors closed to minimise heat infiltration. It might be tempting to leave the blinds up to let that glorious summer sun in, but with the sun comes the heat! Bathrooms and toilets can be heat traps, so be sure to shut those doors too.
Most air conditioners operate on a variable speed system, often referred to as an inverter. All this means is that the air conditioner can adjust the outdoor unit’s speed to meet the required demand efficiently, saving you money. Now, let’s apply this knowledge to those sweltering summer days.
Picture this: you arrive home at 4 pm on a blistering 40°C day, and your air conditioner hasn’t been on. Your house is a toasty 35°C. You set the air conditioning to a cool 24°C, creating a 11°C temperature difference. Your variable speed air conditioning kicks into high gear, running at top speed for an extended period to bring the temperature down. Imagine everyone in your area doing the same—a significant strain on the power grid, right?
If you turn on the air conditioning earlier, before the house gets too hot, the system’s demand is much lower. For instance, if your room temperature is 28°C and the setpoint is 24°C, your system runs at half speed, reaching the desired temperature faster and lowering your running costs.
This strategy also applies when coming home from work. Most modern air conditioners, regardless as to whether ducted or wall split type, feature timers and schedule functions. This helps maintain the temperature at a consistent 24°C rather than trying to change the temperature from 32°C to 24°C.
At the end of the day, there are many variables at play that impact the ability of the air conditioning system to heat and cool a home. Factors such as but not limited to: insulation in the roof space, orientation of the home, surrounding buildings, proximity to the ocean or river and window treatments
For additional tips on reducing running costs and optimising air conditioner performance this summer, check out our other posts on
“Zoning” and “How to Best Run Your A/C”
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