Your air conditioner might work overtime in metro-east heatwave. Set it at this temp
Forecasters expect a heatwave in Belleville and the St. Louis metro area this week, with temperatures reaching as high as 102 degrees, and home air conditioning units may be straining to maintain comfortable temperatures.
Regular tune-ups can help air conditioning units to perform at their best and use energy more efficiently, a 2022 Ameren Missouri press release said.
There are several best practices residents can use themselves to help maintain their air conditioning systems.
“Maintenance is probably one of the best things you can do,” Anytime Heating & Cooling lead technician Matt Maple told the News-Democrat.
Here’s what to know about air conditioner maintenance and how you might be able to save a bit of money on your next utility bill.
How can you properly maintain your air conditioner?
One of the most effective and simplest ways to take care of your air conditioner is to regularly change out your air filter, Maple said.
“If you pull the filter out and you hold it up to a light bulb and you can’t see through it, then that’s all restricted air,” Maple said. “But if you hold it up and it just looks a little discolored and you can see through it, nobody’s really getting sick and you’re not having any problems with allergies, you can put it back in there.”
Most air filters should be changed between once a month and once every three months, Maple continued, though you can get filters that only need to be changed twice a year. Pet owners may want to change their filters more often, as fur can build up quickly.
People who tend to forget to change their air filters on time might consider setting reminders on their phones or setting up an autoship or subscription-based air filter service, Maple added.
It’s recommended to get air conditioning units examined by professionals once or twice a year, Maple said. As for how much it could cost you, Anytime Heating & Cooling charges $140 per year for two maintenance visits, one in the fall and one in the spring.
Getting your air conditioning unit maintained by professionals is important just like it’s important to get the oil changed in your car, Maple said.
At a maintenance visit, an HVAC technician may clean your air conditioner if it is dirty. Dirty air conditioners tend to get hotter and need to work harder to keep your home cool, and cleaning when needed is a regular part of maintenance.
If you have trees surrounding your unit, Maple said it’s not a good idea to cut them down, as the shade helps the unit from having to work harder to maintain lower temperatures.
Another common maintenance practice is to make sure your unit doesn’t have any loose wires hanging out, as wires may be damaged by gardening or weeding accidents.
What’s the ideal thermostat setting to save money?
During the daytime, it’s ideal to set your thermostat between 72 and 74 degrees when it’s not hotter than 95 degrees outside, Maple said. When the outside temperature gets closer to 100 degrees, your unit will have to work harder to keep things cool.
If you like to sleep in cooler temperatures, Maple recommended setting your thermostat to around 69 degrees or higher.
Ameren Missouri provides these tips online for how people can potentially save energy and reduce utility bills:
Replace your air filter to lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by anywhere from 5% to 15%.
Clean your refrigerator. Fridges are responsible for roughly 14% of the average home’s energy use, and it’s a good idea to wipe down the seals around the door and carefully clean the condenser coils.
Check your lighting fixtures and replace old lightbulbs with LED bulbs. “They use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs,” Ameren’s website says.
If you have an exterior sliding glass door, clean out the track to protect its seal.
Redirect your ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise. This pushes cool air down so your air conditioning unit doesn’t have to work as hard, according to Ameren’s website.
