We’ve all wondered this at some point, usually after coming home to a stifling house on a long, hot, summer day—do you really save energy by shutting off your air conditioner when you’re gone for the day, or is it better to just let it run at the same temperature setting all day long? Wasting energy not only costs you more money, it leads to more burning of coal and other fossil fuels that contribute to global climate change. We contacted Jennifer Thorne Amann, MES, buildings program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), to help us figure it out. You may unsubscribe at any time. Related: What Southerners Taught Us About Keeping Houses Cool It may seem like a waste of energy to turn your air conditioner on and off, but doing so actually saves you a fair amount of money and helps your air conditioner work more efficiently, says Amann. While it may seem like your unit has to work hard to cool a space down from 80 to 75 degrees, “air-conditioning systems run most efficiently when they’re running at full speed,” rather than running for shorter periods at a less powerful speed to maintain a constant temperature all day, Amman says.

They’re also better able to dehumidify your house when they run at full blast, she adds. If you have central air, or a window unit with a thermostat, you can save energy and keep things from getting unbearably torrid by setting the thermostat higher. ACEEE estimates that air conditioners use three to five percent less energy for every degree you raise the thermostat. To get the best energy savings, leave your thermostat set at 78 degrees or higher while you’re out. Related: Signs You're Using Your Air Conditioner Wrong Here are a few other ways to stay cool and get better AC energy savings this summer: Buy a programmable thermostat. Whether you turn your central air off or turn its thermostat up when you’re out of the house, a programmable thermostat can crank up the cool factor before you get home. That way your house will be comfortable when you walk in the door. Amann notes that you’ll need to buy a thermostat that suits both your cooling and your heating systems.

Some models don’t work with heat pumps, which can pose a problem in the winter, so check with whoever installed or services your system. If you use a window unit, an appliance timer can serve a similar purpose and newer models may include a timer as well as a thermostat. Buy a ceiling fan. Fans don’t necessarily cool a room, but they move air across your skin, making you feel comfortable at a higher temperature. That allows you to set the thermostat higher and stay cool while using less energy. However, because it doesn’t reduce the temperature of a room, it’s a waste of energy to leave a ceiling fan on in the hopes that it will keep your house cooler while you’re gone.Large, shady bushes planted on the south and west sides of your house will reduce heat gain during the day.The easiest way to cool a house is to open a window, but not too much. The less you open it, the more of a draft you’ll create, and it can also be a great natural air freshener by filling your home with pleasant fresh air.

You can create cross breezes in a one-story house or a single room by cracking one window’s bottom sash and another’s top sash. what is the life expectancy of an ac unitIf you live in a two-story house, open a window on the first floor a crack and another window upstairs on the opposite side of the house. super small ac unitExperiment to see which windows work best and how much you should open them.top rated home hvac unitsQuestion: My air conditioner unit in my home runs just about constantly just to stay at 76 degrees. Do I need to add more freon? Or do I need to replace my AC unit before summer gets here? My electricity bill was over $350 dollars last month in April!Answer 1 – It will depend on the temperature of inside your home and the outside air temperature and also how well your house is insulated.

If you have vaulted ceilings and lots of big windows then this is something to consider. If there is cold air blowing from the vents then it may be doing all it can to keep it at 75 degrees. At times the AC Evaporator can get dirty from use. If this is dirty it will decrease the effectiveness of the AC unit temperature. You can try cleaning the evaporator coil with this cleaner here.Answer 2 – Throw the expensive restrictive return “pollen” home air filters away and put a cheap free flowing return filter on there instead. Those high dollar filters are for equipment protection and are very restrictive. The allergy catching filters are total gimmicks and are too restrictive for the normal A/C system. Or you can swap out your return grill to a huge size to make up for reduced airflow through the restrictive filters. Getting the cheap blue or green 99 cent filter is the cheapest way to improve your AC to not constantly run and to improve it’s effectiveness.How often to change air filter for your AC unit in SummerAnswer 3 – First of all…

The word “freon” is a brand name for a refrigerant named R-22 (Refrigerant 22). Other types of air conditioning refrigerants are called R-134a, R-404A, R-407C, R-12 and R-410A. Also the actual refrigerant that is named Freon was banned years ago. To be able to work with R-22 yourself you need to be certified by the EPA. (If you want to know more about refrigerant info requirements from the EPA click here) Anyway, your unit is probably undercharged (not enough refrigerant) or overcharged (too much refrigerant). Usually an AC mechanic or tech company will come out and check the refrigerant with industrial gauges for about $30 dollars. Have them come out and check your A/C before you buy a new unit of course!Answer 4 – A bigger air conditioner unit is not always better when it comes to HVAC equipment. The unit must be properly sized for the house it is going to be used on. There are many factors that go into a load calculation. Consider things like the number of windows in your home, the east and west sunshine exposure, and your homes insulation.

If you do not get cold air out of the AC vents then you could have a refrigerant issue. Most people cannot check this themselves so it is best if you call an Air Conditioning Technician. Have them come out and check your refrigerant to see if it needs to be filled. If you are a Groupon member there are usually great discounts on getting your AC checked to see if repairs are needed. You can also check your AC air filter to see if it is dirty and clogged. A dirty AC air filter prevents air flow from going across your indoor evaporator coil. Remember to change your air filters every 30 days in the summer months.Home A/C Air Conditioner DiagramAnswer 5 – If you have approx 17 degrees difference between the supply air (air going into the vent) and the cold air coming out of the vents then there is nothing wrong with the unit itself. It just means it is so hot outside that your unit cannot keep the temperature up. Check to make sure there are no windows open and that any sliding glass patio doors are not cracked open.