In Las Vegas, the summers are sweltering and the winters are quite cold. An air conditioner is an essential appliance in your home during the hot and humid summer season. It’s not a luxury anymore but a mandatory appliance in every home in Las Vegas. The Department of Energy reports that heating and cooling bills make up more than 50% of your total utility expenses. Improving air conditioner efficiency is important to reduce your utility expenses during the hot and humid summer months. Improving the efficiency of your HVAC unit will help you get the most from the system while controlling the expenses. It also increases the durability of the unit. This article provides information on some of the most important no-cost ways of improving air conditioning efficiency.

Increasing the thermostat of the HVAC unit by a few degrees can help save money and energy. In fact, adjusting the thermostat by 5-8 degrees – up in summer and down in winter – helps in saving energy and money. For example, if your unit has a programmable thermostat, you can automatically adjust the temperature of the unit according to the weather patterns of the day. If you plan to go out of the house for several hours, you can adjust the thermostat accordingly and save energy and money in the long run.

The vents of the air conditioner system should be vacuumed and kept unblocked at all times. The indoor and outdoor vents collect dust and debris over time and decrease the efficiency of the unit. Vacuuming these vents from time to time helps improve the efficiency of the system and maintain steady airflow. Also, don’t forget to keep the blinds, toys, and furniture away from the vents so that these items don’t block the vents.

The outdoor condenser unit works efficiently when it is clean and clear of debris. Get a professional to perform an in-depth cleaning of the outdoor condenser unit to improve the efficiency of the HVAC system. Don’t forget to keep lamps and other heat-producing appliances away from the HVAC system. When these items are placed near the thermostat of the unit, the machine has to work harder to cool the air in your home. In fact, the system needs to run for longer hours and work harder to keep your family comfortable under such circumstances.

Keeping the curtains and blinds closed is important on hot and humid days. That way the direct sun will not be able to warm the inside of your home and make the AC unit work harder than usual to keep your family comfortable. Clearing the drain line of the unit is another important practice to improve the efficiency of the system. The drain line is located near the indoor cooling unit – usually mounted above the furnace in the basement. Rinse a cup of chlorine bleach with a gallon of water and flush it down the air conditioner drain. This will let you keep the drain line clear through the summer.

Another important no-cost method of improving air conditioner efficiency is to avoid using the oven and dryer during the hottest times of the day. Using the oven or dryer during hot hours will cause warm air to be drawn into the house. The air conditioner unit has to work harder to maintain the necessary comfort levels in such circumstances. That’s why you need to avoid using the oven and dryer when the temperature outside is quite high during the day.

The summers in Las Vegas are sweltering and the winters become quite cold. The aforementioned article provides information on some of the most important no-cost ways of improving air conditioning efficiency.