Although Summer doesn’t officially begin until June 20th, yesterday’s Memorial Day holiday marks the unofficial start of the season for most Americans. It also marks the beginning of our warmest time of the year. This past weekend, the Fredericksburg area already reached a temperature of at least 90 degrees three days in a row! When this happens, it’s time for our air conditioning systems to start cranking. But, what happens when your system hasn’t had to work that hard all year long and what can you do to help it run more efficiently?

First things first, we always recommend changing the air filters. You will probably see us tell you this in every blog post we write! It is the quickest and easiest way to help your system run more efficiently. It can help you immediately save money and energy, as your air conditioning will not have to work as hard to produce the desired temperature.

Second, set your thermostat to the right temperature. Ideally, you should set the thermostat to 78 degrees for your system. However, that isn’t the most comfortable temperature for everyone in your home. So, as a rule of thumb, remember that each degree below 78 degrees increases the system’s energy consumption by about 8 percent. You can also consider a programmable thermostat. This allows you to change the temperature for certain times each day. For example, you can set the temperature to something you’re comfortable with while you’re home and then have it change to the recommended 78 degrees while you’re at work!

Third, utilize your ceiling fans! If your home has ceiling fans, try to use as many as possible throughout the house. Also, switch the setting on the fans to run counterclockwise during the summer. This makes the fan push all of the cool air down. Using your ceiling fans may allow you to keep the thermostat at a higher temperature, without jeopardizing your comfort.

Finally, check your home for any air leaks. You don’t want your air conditioning system to cool the outdoors! If you find areas with leaks, you can seal them up using caulking, weather-stripping, or insulation.

As always, if your system is having issues, give Complete Heating and Cooling a call to schedule an inspection!

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