You May Be Driving Up Your Air Conditioning Costs and Not Realize It!

Phoenix, AZ has warm weather around the year, but during the summer the temperatures can turn especially brutal. Air conditioning systems all over the city will work steadily to make sure people stay cool. All that electricity sent to the air conditioners will have a significant effect on utility bills.

Although there’s nothing you can do to prevent using the air conditioner in your home, there are probably a few errors you are making with the cooling system that are causing it to be more expensive to run. We will look at a few and help you correct them.

ONE: You haven’t changed the air filter in months (or ever)

The air filter in an AC often gets ignored, and this is one of the principle reasons that air conditioning starts to turn extra expensive. It only takes a month of steady use for an air conditioner’s filter to become clogged with debris, which chokes off airflow and forces the system to work harder than necessary. Locate your system’s air filter and change it once a month during the summer. If your AC uses a permanent filter, remove it and clean it gently with a garden hose.

TWO: You are placing the thermostat setting too low

When the heat outdoors climbs about 100°F—too common in a Phoenix summer—you will feel tempted to drop the thermostat down to as low as it can go, which is often 60°F. But this won’t cool the house down faster, and you’ll end up uncomfortable chilly. Set the thermostat between 75-80°F (to your comfort) and keep it steady, and you can reduce your summer cooling bills by up to 25%.

THREE: Schedule annual maintenance

You should always have a professional inspect and tune-up your AC each spring; this will prevent it from developing efficiency problems. If you haven’t had it done this year, it is never too late to start.

When it’s time for air conditioning repair or other air conditioning services that will help save money, call on the experts at Magic Touch Mechanical in Phoenix, AZ.