Are you the type of person who always turns off the lights when you leave a room? Well, perhaps then you may have known that an air conditioner is the single most expensive, energy-consuming appliance in a household. As a responsible electricity consumer, there are several ways to minimize your power usage coming from the air conditioner, and keep down that electric bill this summer. So what are some signs that this appliance is draining your wallet?
System always running
If your air conditioner is always on, and it seems like on the hottest days it cannot keep up with the temperature, it certainly has an issue. It could either be running on its last leg, or possibly losing cold air somewhere in the duct work; there could even be a leak in the system somewhere. This will raise your electric bill the most, and should be dealt with properly. A healthy air conditioner should maintain the temperature at that which you set the thermostat to, throughout the entire day.
More than 8 years old
The more that an air conditioner runs in its lifetime, the more stress and wear is put on the compressor. Over time, the moving parts inside will degrade, making the entire system less efficient at cooling the home. This is hard to notice because it happens slowly. But keeping your system maintained and cleaned well by a professional will help add to its overall lifespan and efficiency.
Hot or cold spots in home
Is there that one room in your house which never seems to be comfortable? Is it either too hot in the summer, or too cold in the winter? This is a sign of poor insulation or duct work design, and can be easily solved by calling a professional company to come over and give you some options to fix the root cause of the issue.
Higher electric bill
Finally, a high electric bill itself can be a sign of a poor air conditioner. If your bill is more than 10 or 15% higher than a neighbor with a similar sized house to your own, the odds are that your air conditioning system is to blame. Contact us today at Tri County Air Care, and let us help to keep that electric bill down this year!