When it comes to increasing efficiency through the home, there are many AC upgrades or repairs that can help with that. But what if you’ve just had maintenance, or you’ve only owned your system for a very short time? At that point, the biggest barrier between you and efficient energy usage is yourself! And that translates into how you use the thermostat.
The thermostat is the control center for your air conditioner, meaning your efficiency will only be as good as you allow it to be. However, there are a few things you can do to make sure the thermostat is operating at its full potential.
You Need a Programmable Thermostat, at the Very Least
First off, you’ll need a thermostat that you can program. It’s not enough to have a thermostat with just a digital display. If your thermostat has a slider, then it belongs in a museum.
A programmable thermostat will give you the control to create your own heating and cooling schedules. This makes the job of efficiency several times easier, since automation will make it much more likely for you to stick to these new habits.
With that, what you’ll want to do is set the thermostat to a temperature as close to the outdoor temperature as possible. 78 degrees is ideal and possible to adjust to, but it all depends on how much you want to save.
Make Sure it’s Cleaned and Positioned in a Good Place
Two factors that can affect the efficiency of your thermostat are cleanliness and placement. If your thermostat hasn’t been cleaned in years, go ahead and take off the front cover and carefully dust off any dirty components. Dirt on the thermostat will create inaccurate readings and inefficient usage.
If your thermostat is in a bad place, you might not know it until you ask for the professional opinion of an HVAC contractor in Birmingham, AL. It’s definitely something to ask about during a maintenance check. A badly placed thermostat will get inaccurate readings of the temperature, which can cause your AC to work longer than necessary. This will contribute to excessive and inefficient energy use.
Use a Smart or WiFi Thermostat’s Features to its Full Potential
There are many savings benefits to Smart and Wi-Fi thermostats, from its ability to learn your preferences to being remotely controlled from anywhere. If you upgrade your thermostat and decide to purchase one of these advanced thermostats, take the time to learn all of its functions and come up with an effective strategy. Some examples include:
- Smartphone integration: Using your phone’s location information, the thermostat can detect when you’ve left the house and adjust the temperature for savings.
- Control from anywhere: As long as you have access to the internet, you can use your smartphone or laptop to adjust the temperature at home. Going to be home later than usual? Just make the adjustments from your phone.
- Energy history: See how often you used energy every day to better understand your energy usage patterns.
