HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR AIR CONDITIONER

…. and some fun things I’ll bet you didn’t know!

This summer has been one of those where I think everyone in the nation has had their air conditioning running -- a lot!

Who remembers those days before a/c, sitting on the floor in front of a fan just trying to keep cool and then talking into it to make your voice sound cool, too!  OK, I’m dating myself…  Let’s get to the good stuff:

Fun Fact:  Before air conditioning was invented, cooling was done by saving big blocks of ice cut from frozen lakes and ponds in the winter.  When cooling machines started to be used, they rated their capacity by the equivalent amount of ice melted in a day, which is where the term “ton” came from when talking about the size of a/c units.  A window air conditioner is usually less than one ton.  A small home central air conditioner would be about two tons and a large one about five tons. 

It is very important that your unit is properly sized for your home and needs or it will run more than required, raising your utility bills & burning the unit out faster.

Geek Stuff:  How does a/c work?  The job of your home air conditioner is move heat from inside your home to the outside, thereby cooling you and your home. Air conditioners blow cool air into your home by pulling the heat out of that air. The air is cooled by blowing it over a set of cold pipes called an evaporator coil. This works just like the cooling that happens when water evaporates from your skin. The evaporator coil is filled with a special liquid called a refrigerant, which changes from a liquid to a gas as it absorbs heat from the air. The refrigerant is pumped outside the house to another coil where it gives up its heat and changes back into a liquid. This outside coil is called the condenser because the refrigerant is condensing from a gas back to a fluid just like moisture on a cold window. A pump, called a compressor, is used to move the refrigerant between the two coils and to change the pressure of the refrigerant so that all the refrigerant evaporates or condenses in the appropriate coils.

Fun Fact:  The energy to do all of this is used by the motor that runs the compressor. The entire system will normally give about three times the cooling energy that the compressor uses. This odd fact happens because the changing of refrigerant from a liquid to a gas and back again lets the system move much more energy than the compressor uses. 

How to care for your a/c unit:

·        Keep dirt & obstructions from the coils and drains.

·        Do not plant bushes or place other things around it as it needs clear airflow

·        Do not cover the unit in winter as that can cause condensation & rusting

·        Shut off unneeded electrical appliances, lights & equipment when not in use

·        Shift appliance use (such as washers, dryers, dishwashers) to cooler times of the day or evening

·        Use exhaust fans to remove heat & humidity from kitchens & baths

·        Purchase Energy Star or other efficient appliances

·        Do not run a dehumidifier at the same time as an air conditioner

·        Do not set your thermostat to the ‘fan on’ position.  In this position, the fan blows air all the time, whether your cooling system is running or not & a lot of the moisture your system just took out of the air will be blown back into the house before it can drain away.

Number one simplest, easiest, & most important thing you can do: 

Change those filters as frequently as recommended by the manufacturer

Here’s hoping you’re keeping cool & enjoying these last few weeks of summer!

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