Industry Insights

How can I improve my air conditioner efficiency?

Written by Oliver Pennington | Nov 21, 2023 1:41:50 AM

The first thing you need to do is choose a good air conditioner. The next thing is to make sure your air conditioning installation is done by a professional. With these two things, you have done everything you can to get a good start with your air-con.

Other efforts that you can make to make sure your running costs don’t break your budget are all about the way you use your unit and the way you organise your daily life.

1. Seek advice before purchase

There are experts for everything, and so there are experts for air conditioner installation. You should find reliable professionals in your area and ask them to help you choose your air conditioner. You will need help to determine the size and the type of the unit, as well as to calculate the costs of your air conditioning.

Your costs include the price of the unit, the running costs which are dependant on the air con itself and your electricity price and the price of aircon installation. You cannot influence the size of your home, but you can cut down your installation costs.

Get several quotes from Seeking Service for your air conditioner installation. Shop around and pick the price that works for you.

2. Choose the best air con for your home

This depends on your home and the way you organise your day. There are portable options that are suitable for only one room, and there are big systems that work best for large homes with families. The types at your disposal are:

  • Split System and Multi-Split Units
  • Portable Air Conditioners
  • Wall/Window Mounted Air Conditioners
  • Ducted Central Air Conditioning Systems

Split system air conditioning is probably the most widely used system. It consists of the indoor unit with the evaporator and the fan and the outdoor unit that holds the condenser and the compressor. It works with a remote control.

Portable air conditioners can be moved from one room to another. All they need is electricity and a way for the exhaust pipe to be lead outside. This can be done through a hole in a wall or window.

Wall or Window air cons are single-unit devices. They fit into a window or a cutout hole in a wall. They are quite economical, but they can be a bit loud.

Ducted central air conditioning systems also work on the same principle as the split systems, but they suck the air out and blow the cold air in with a system of ducts.

The right choice of your air conditioner can save you a lot in the long run. Central air con is expensive, but still your best option if you have a large home through which kids are always running. A wall system is good if you just want to cool down one room cheaply. Portable air con works great for rentals because you can take it with you.

3. Check the ratings on your air conditioner

There are several ratings that you need to check when picking your air conditioners. Check the EER and COP ratings and see what the energy output, expressed in kW, is. You want your EER to be high and your kW to be low. However, don’t go too low, or your air con won’t be able to do its work properly. COP is the same but for heating.

4. Fix up your home insulation

Your air conditioner removes the heat from your room air and releases it outside. If your home isn’t insulated well, it means that it will work at 100% capacity, trying to cool down the air over and over again. That is less than efficient, and it means you are burning through your money. Not to mention that you are cutting the lifetime of your air-con short. Choose the best insulation you can for your home and save money.

5. Never Skip on Regular Maintenance

Regular maintenance and servicing will prolong the lifespan of your air conditioning system. Not only that, but it will allow it to work more efficiently and spend less electricity. When it comes to servicing, this is what you need to do:

Washing filters Once a week
Replacing filters One person in the household – every three months
Family with kids – every two months
Family with kids and pets – every month
Proper servicing by a professional Once a year

6. Make sure the vents are never blocked

Your air-con is working very hard to extract the air from your room, chill it and return it. If it is blocked by your furniture, it will not be able to perform that task well. It will not be able to blow enough air in to cool the room.

That may cause you to think that the temperature is not cool enough, and you will lower the thermostat. Just like that, you are ramping up your electricity bill when you should just move your armchair a bit.

7. Insulate your ducts

Ducted systems are great and efficient, but they are a bit pricey. That is why you need to make sure you eliminate all the possible energy waste. The air your air conditioning cools down is distributed back into the rooms through ducts. If they are not well insulated, the air will not reach your room as cool as it should be.

These are just several out of so many useful tips about how to make your air conditioner more efficient. The best tips you can get are actually from people who deal with the air conditioning installation. They know all the systems inside out, and they have seen them all at work. Ask your installer for some tips.

If you don’t have an installer yet, get quotes for air con installation from Service Seeking professionals and see how many experts from your area can help you with your AC. That is your first step toward reliable, efficient and cost-effective air conditioning.

We get jobs done. Get quotes from over 130,000 local businesses across Australia on ServiceSeeking.com.au

 

There are lots of local air conditioning services that can provide you with top-notch services. Take a look at ServiceSeeking.com.au’s highest-rated air conditioning specialists in these major cities:

Sydney | Melbourne  | Brisbane | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | Canberra | Darwin