Air Conditioning

If you have central air conditioning, make sure the outdoor units have clearance for air flow. Cut back any plants that may have grown too close.

Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.

Two major decisions should guide your purchase of a room air conditioner. Buy a correctly sized unit. Buy an energy-efficient unit. If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10%. If the unit is for a kitchen, increase the capacity by 4,000 Btu per hour.

Air conditioners are rated by the number of British Thermal Units (Btu) of heat they can remove per hour. Another common rating term for air conditioning size is the “ton,” which is 12,000 Btu per hour.

Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.

Air conditioners need room to take in and exhaust air and should have at least 18 inches of clearance from furniture, plants, and drapes. If the air cannot circulate around the unit, heat may build up and cause damage to the coils.