Does your Murrieta home become unbearably warm in the summer? If so, you may be tempted to blast your air conditioning all day long to keep you cool and comfortable. However, overusing your AC unit can not only cause your energy bills to skyrocket, but it can also reduce your unit’s lifespan and require AC repair. While utilizing your air conditioning through the hot months is undoubtedly a necessity to keep you comfortable, here are some ways you can prevent overusing your AC this summer.

Turn off your AC when you’re not home

Modern air conditioning units are extremely powerful and energy efficient, so they can often cool down your home in just a matter of minutes. While many Murrieta homeowners are tempted to keep their AC running all day so it’ll be cool as soon as they walk in the door, this is an expensive solution that wastes hours of electricity. Instead, try turning your AC off entirely before you leave the house and turning it back on when you walk in the door. While it may be a little warmer than you’d like upon entering, your home will be cooled in no time, and you’ll have saved hours of electricity.

Install a programmable thermostat

If your family has a daily routine that keeps you out of the house during regular hours every week, a programmable thermostat is a great energy-saving solution. Instead of manually turning off your AC each time you leave the house, a programmable thermostat allows you to set your AC to turn on during certain hours of the day automatically. If the last family member leaves for work by 8, you can set your thermostat to turn off your heating or air conditioning at that time. Does your first child get back home at 3? Set your AC to turn on at 2:30 so the house is nice and cool when they walk in. A programmable thermostat allows your home cooling system to shut down when you don’t need it, giving you HVAC unit a much-needed break while reducing your monthly energy bill.

Perform a home energy audit

Older features of your home – such as the insulation, doors, and windows – can reduce your home’s energy efficiency over time and allow cool air to escape during the summer. Outdated insulation and old, crumbling caulking can cause cold air to escape through windows and doors, which results in the need to run your AC continuously to keep your house at the desired temperature. Older windows and doors can also become drafty, letting warm air into your home and heating it unevenly. Assessing all of these areas of your home in the lead-up to summer can help you identify how effectively your home is containing cooled air and how to maximize your AC’s efficiency.

Utilize fans

Ceiling fans or oscillating fans around your home can be utilized to circulate cold air throughout your house. Fans can make a room feel up to ten degrees cooler while using just 10 percent of the energy of your air conditioning unit. While they certainly don’t have the same power and cooling ability as central AC, putting fans throughout your house can take some of the pressure off of your unit. The fans will reduce the amount of time your AC unit will be running and will help avoid any unnecessary AC repairs that come with extended use.

Schedule seasonal HVAC maintenance

Having your HVAC unit assessed every few months, especially before summer commences, will keep your home cleaner, your bill lower, and your AC more efficient. Proper maintenance will improve your home’s air quality for you and your family while driving down electricity costs and extending the life of your unit while avoiding repairs. If your AC system needs to be serviced this summer, call the AC repair experts at ProFlo. We’ve been taking care of Murrieta residents for more than 20 years, so you can trust us to get the job done right. Call us at (951) 694-1300 today for a free quote.