Home > Heating & Cooling Blog > How to Make Your Older Residential Air Conditioning System Operate More Efficiently

Residential Air ConditioningYou are probably quite familiar with how high summer utility bills can be. What you may not realize is that running your residential air conditioning when it isn’t operating efficiently could be responsible for a bulk of these bills. All AC systems use quite a bit of electricity because they have numerous parts that need it to operate. The older your system is, the more these parts can consume as they wear out. Here are a few tips, however, for making your older residential air conditioning system operate a bit more efficiently:

  • Tip #1 – Give your system a break! We’re not saying to shut it off and swelter in the heat, but you can make life easier for the poor old guy. Check out your home to see if more insulation would help and seal up any places where hot air is able to get inside easily.
  • Tip #2 – Control the thermostat. Just a degree or two change for even part of the day can save you money, and you are unlikely to feel you’ve compromised, particularly if you install a programmable thermostat that changes the temperature when you are away from home.
  • Tip #3 – Keep up with maintenance. Your residential air conditioning professional has the experience to tune-up your system to run a bit more efficiently.
  • Tip #4 – If all else fails, replace it. It’s sad to see a trusted friend kicked to the curb, but if that friend is costing you a bundle, it may be time to cut it loose in favor of a more efficient unit.