Without your air conditioner, your Mount Airy home would be hot and uncomfortable all summer long. As great as your air conditioner is, though, operating it comes at the cost of a higher utility bill. It makes sense to limit the amount of time that you operate your air conditioner so that you don’t end up with a utility bill that makes your wallet’s heart skip a beat.
If you’re not home during the day, that may seem like a great opportunity to turn your air conditioner off. However, turning your air conditioner off during the day might not actually save electricity, and it could lead to other problems.
Heat and Humidity
Heat is only one part of what makes summer air uncomfortable. The other ingredient of summer discomfort is humidity. Since air from outside enters your home throughout the day, the humidity that’s in the air comes into your home as well. Your air conditioner is responsible for removing this humidity as part of the cooling process.
If you leave your air conditioner off entirely while you’re away, it won’t have a chance to remove the humidity. This can lead to problems such as sticking doors, moldy food that’s left out like bread, and other issues. At Jay’s Heating, Air & Plumbing, we recommend that you keep your air conditioner on and instead just raise the temperature a few degrees when you’re not home. For an easy solution, ask us about installing a smart thermostat that can automatically adjust the temperature.
Circulating Air
If the humidity isn’t too high outside, when you turn off your AC, you still might want a method to circulate the air. Air that sits still all day can become stagnant, which can cause unpleasant odors that you’ll notice as soon as you walk in your front door. One way to keep air circulating without running your air conditioner is to run a ceiling fan on low speed. You can also set the AC to “ON” so the blower moves the air through the vents even when it’s not actively cooling.
A Team You Can Trust
Whether you need HVAC maintenance, repair, or new system installation, our NATE-certified technicians can take care of it all. Other services we offer include generator installation, duct cleaning, mold removal, crawlspace renovations, and more. Call us at Jay’s Heating, Air & Plumbing to schedule an appointment.
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