Best Places to Install an Air Conditioner in Your Home to Save Energy
Best Places to Install an Air Conditioner in your Home to Save Energy
An air conditioner can be a sweet relief from the summer heat, but if you put it in the wrong spot, it might be a waste of money. Placing your air conditioner in the correct location will ensure that it is working correctly and provide the space with the proper airflow. If you place it incorrectly, you might cost yourself some money so have a look at the best places to install an air conditioner in your home to save energy.
1. Look for the room that needs it the most and avoid it.
Some homes have rooms that get the worst of the summer sun, which usually means those rooms get much hotter than the rest of your home. Instead of placing your new unit in a room that gets the warmest, try putting it in an area close to the room (such as a hallway window) so that it’s not working overtime. The harder your ac unit works, the more power and energy it will use.
Placing it in a communal area will also benefit more people so that you will need fewer air conditioners for the home. You will likely want airflow, so leaving your door open and windows closed is the best way to let the air conditioner work its magic in more than one room at a time.
2. Place it in high areas.
Depending on the style of air conditioner you have, you want to place it in a spot where it is circulating the room instead of blowing cold air into the corner. You want to put it in an open area, so make sure there is nothing in front of it like a couch or bookshelf. Even if it’s slightly obstructed, you might get issues if the airflow is pushed back into the unit.
Suppose you have a wall-mounted AC unit, then look at installing it up high to push the air around the hot air sitting at the top of the room. Placing it high on the wall is the best way to ensure that the entire space gets cold air. Hot air rises, and the unit will be able to work its best if it’s placed in an area with very few obstacles.
3. Put it in a low power area.
Air conditioners use quite a bit of energy for your home’s power, and it’s crucial to plug them into a good outlet. If you plug in a unit and immediately blow a breaker, you know you have too much going on, and you need to move it somewhere new. If you have more than one unit, you need to space them out throughout your home so that they aren’t overloading your circuit.
If your air conditioner is running on a circuit that isn’t; shared with anything else, then it might not be the best fit for that area. You need to have enough power to run the a/c properly, or you can risk a major blowout.
4. Keep it away from smells.
Whether it’s a litter box, a garbage can, or the dreaded diaper pail, you want to keep the gust from your ac unit away from things that have a strong smell, or you risk spreading it further. You might also end up running it needlessly to make the smell go away.
Your unit should never give off offending smells either, and if you happen to have a stench, you need to open it up and look at what might be causing it. The unit is mainly outside, and you can sometimes end up with debris and gunk that slip in the cracks. A significant clog might make the unit work harder to try and overcome it, which is a waste of energy, so it’s best to try and keep it clean.
5. Watch out for blinds.
Blinds or curtains can get in the way of window units and disturb the airflow, which might ice up your AC. If you have curtains in the same window, you will need to either remove them or switch to a short curtain that allows the unit to blow freely.
6. Check where the sun sets
For large rooms with multiple windows, look at placing the unit in a window that faces north or east. This way, you are getting less sun on the unit and allowing it to run much better. If the unit is hot on the outside, it will be challenging to maintain a cool temperature in your home.
7. Watch out for dust
If you have an area of your home that gets extra dusty or full of pet hair, you need to make sure you clean out the filters on your unit, or you will cost yourself quite a bit extra. The unit needs to pull air in, and if it’s just pulling in dirt and debris, it’s going to work harder than you want.
If you can’t help but place it in a high-traffic area, make cleaning out the filter part of your daily routine. Some machines have filters that need to be replaced periodically, but if yours is the kind that requires cleaning, give it a quick wipe once a week to make sure it’s good to go.
Your air conditioner should be keeping your home cool and fresh while using as little energy as possible. As long as you have your unit installed in a good area with not too much heat, your unit will last you quite a while. Make sure you do whatever you can to keep your ac running smoothly, and your house will be as cool as a cucumber in no time.
