Effective And Efficient Cooling
Running your air conditioner in the months where we experience extremes in temperature can raise your energy bill quite significantly. There are various types of air conditioners on the market and by choosing the right sized, energy efficient air conditioner you can save a lot of money on its operating costs.
The most effective air conditioner unit is an inverter system. Inverter air conditioners are more powerful than their standard air conditioning counterparts. However they are also highly energy efficient. Conventional air conditioners try to maintain a set temperature while operating on a stop start principle. Once the desired temperature is reached, a standard air conditioner will practically switch off and monitor the temperature until it falls outside the desired levels, the unit will then blast the area at full power again in order to reach its temperature goal. While effective, this can use significantly more power than an inverter model.
An inverter maintains a steady flow of air, fluctuating gently, which means it reaches the desired temperature quickly and efficiently, using a lot less power.
When purchasing a refrigerant air conditioner, it is important to check the energy ratings displayed with the unit. This will allow you to make an informed choice about the likely power consumption of your air conditioner. However, star ratings are not the only factor you should consider. Contact one of our experts for advice.
There are other ways to allow effective and efficient cooling within your home. Ensuring that your air conditioner is the correct capacity for your room size is probably the most important thing you could do when you are choosing which system is right for you. Allow 130-150 watts per square meter of floor space for daytime cooling and 80-100 watts per square meter for night time cooling. Please be aware that there are other considerations to take into account (ie insulation, geographical location) that will impact this formula to a degree. Our system strength calculator will help point you in the right direction.
Using a timer to turn your air conditioner off in the early hours of the morning is a great way to maintain energy efficiency. With doors and windows closed, and the fan on for circulation (or off if you are using the heating function), your rooms should easily retain a comfortable temperature.
Dusty filters reduce air flow and prevent the eradication of contaminants that may be in your home. Make sure that you check your filter for obstruction and dust every month, and clean the filter every 6 months. This will reduce the contaminants in your home and cut the energy used by your system by up to 15%. Click here to book a service reminder for your air conditioner.
It is helpful in maintaining an effective air conditioner to make sure that any heat producing electronics products, like your television, are not placed too close to your indoor unit. They may fool your system into thinking that the temperature is too warm and make your air conditioner work overtime.
If you are using a ducted system it is important to maintain your ducts and vents. Ducts should be properly insulated as the ducted system is usually kept in your roof, and the temperature of the roof space could negatively affect the temperature of the air within the ducts. In order to provide healthy air circulation, make sure furniture is not obstructing your air vents. It's also important to get a specialist in periodically to check your duct work for holes, leaks and cleaning. It's easy to book a service here.
