Your air conditioner tries its hardest. It’s not an easy job, keeping a home cool all summer in California! Be kind to your AC unit. Don’t do anything to make extra work for it. We hear you: of course you wouldn’t do that! But sometimes people don’t realize that a choice they’re making is causing trouble for their air conditioning. So let’s talk about your windows. Are you leaving them open? On behalf of your air conditioner, we beg you, don’t do it! Here’s why.
Inefficiency
It might seem like leaving the windows open for a while when you start up the AC will give the hot air a chance to escape, or allow a bit of a breeze until the room cools down. But all it really does is make it take longer to get the space to your desired temperature. The hot air keeps coming in, and some of the cool air that you’re paying for escapes out the window. When it takes more time to cool your home, that means more work for the air conditioner, which uses more energy and drives your electric bill up.
System Strain
Forcing your air conditioner to work for longer at a stretch to reach the target temperature won’t just strain your bank account. It will also strain the air conditioner. Critical components like the fan motors just won’t get a break. Worst of all, the compressor will be running nonstop. The compressor is located in the outdoor unit, and it does the all-important job of keeping your refrigerant flowing by keeping it under pressure. You definitely don’t want to cause problems for that component! Not only will a failing compressor mean your whole AC system is nothing but an overpriced fan, it’s so costly to replace that it’s not recommended to invest in a replacement unless your air conditioner is practically brand-new. This means that if your middle-aged air conditioner’s compressor goes, you’ll probably be looking at getting a whole new system.
What to Do Instead
If you’re hoping to speed up the time it takes for your air conditioner to cool your home after it’s gotten too hot in there, the best thing you can do is the exact opposite of opening a window. You should seal it up tight! Check the bottom and sides of doors to see if there’s a gap that lets air through. Inspect the edges of your window frames. Close up cracks and drafts with weather stripping. This way, all the cool air you create will stay right where you need it: indoors. And if you’re hoping to feel a pleasant breeze while you wait for your home to cool down, turn on your ceiling fans! Make sure they’re rotating counter-clockwise, which is the ideal direction for summer. If you don’t have a ceiling fan, you can use a portable fan to keep the air moving. And to make sure that your air conditioner will always give a top-notch performance and keep you as cool as possible, don’t forget to have annual maintenance done and always get AC repair in Kingsburg, CA as soon as you suspect there’s a problem.
We strive to provide honest answers and solutions to the problems our customers’ experience while remaining highly competitive in price, and offer the fastest turnaround you can find! Contact Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning to schedule service or sign up for Mr. Cool’s Super Saver Program.