Summer is here and, if you're like most folks, your AC is humming away. Thank God, we invented those things. However, they can run up your electrical bill very quickly.
There are a few things you can do to help keep that bill down. First and foremost, keep the filter clean. It is easy to forget to check them, but clogged filters make the AC run much harder with less results. I check ours about once a week and clean it, even if it does not look dirty, to remove any oily film that might be building up. Of course, ours is a washable filter and just rinsing it does the job. If yours is a replaceable filter, you can still brush off surface dirt or even vacuum it, but, din't go too long without replacing it. After all, they are cheap and electric bills are not.
If you have a window unit, keep items away from the front and back of the unit. You need a free flow of air to keep it running well. Also, keep the front of thr unit, where the filter is covered, very clean; if it is dirty and gummy, you get poor air flow.
If you have a central unit that sits on the ground, keep the area around it clean of leaves and debris. If the unit seems to be running poorly, remove the covers and check the copper coils. If they are dirty, they are easy to clean and any hardware store will sell the cleaner. Check the air handler, the inside part of the unit, and if it is holding water, clean that out and clean out the line that carries water away. Pour some bleach, not much, through the line since you likely have an algae build up. If all of this seems too much bother, get a service contract with a reliable company and have them service the entire unit on a regular basis.
I have lived in hot climates with no AC and it is not pleasant; neither are sky high electric bills. Take care of your air conditioner.
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