Air Conditioner Fact Sheet for First Time Homeowners

Being a homeowner for the first time is an exciting time, but home ownership also comes with new lessons in home maintenance and developing caretaker habits that can only be learned through experience. What you need to know in terms of taking care of your air conditioner is no different.

In your first year of home ownership, you’ll likely have a lot of questions about your air conditioner. How can you reduce the cost of running it? What temperature should you set it to? With this, we hope to answer your questions and make owning your new home a little simpler.

What are Ductless Air Conditioners?

The first air conditioner decision you may have to make is which one to buy. While ductless air conditioners are new on the market, they’re worth considering as they can save you some headaches moving forward.

Ductless air conditioners don’t use forced-air systems so they don’t spread allergens through your home. They can be placed strategically to target rooms that are usually warmer than others. Plus, they’re easy to install, very energy efficient and a popular choice for helping to save on costs.

How Does Humidity Affect My Air Conditioner?

Once you have an air conditioner, you should also consider buying a dehumidifier. When you reduce the humidity in your home, it helps to make higher temperatures more comfortable and reduce cooling costs at the same time.

Making a small investment in a dehumidifier now can save you money on your utility bills moving forward. Plus, it can help relieve the symptoms of summer-time allergies.

What is an Ideal Temperature for a Home AC?

Most homeowners in Cambridge and surrounding areas will set their air conditioner to 21° C or 22° C in the summer. Being so far south, we’re actually one of the warmest areas in the whole country, so it makes sense that we rely on air conditioners so much. However, setting your air conditioner this low will increase your utility costs. When you look at your utility bills over time, you’ll realize that running your air conditioner eats a big chunk of your costs.

To save money, try setting your air conditioner to 24° C or 25° C, especially during peak energy use hours. This is an ideal energy saving temperature for your AC. With your dehumidifier, these temperatures should be comfortable and make a significant impact in your costs. You can also use blinds and curtains during the hottest parts of the day to prevent the sunshine from generating more heat. If you can start good energy-saving habits now, you can lower your utility costs for many years to come.

What Should I Know About Warranty and Maintenance?

Most air conditioners come with a five or 10-year warranty and cover many components of your AC should they malfunction or fail due to manufacturer issues. If the problem is covered by your warranty, you can expect the new component to be free of charge, however you may still be required to pay for labor to install it. You can find the warranty information located on your AC unit, or feel free to ask the technician when servicing your air conditioner where this is located.

It’s recommended to have your air conditioner serviced at least once a year to ensure it’s working properly and that there are no foreseeable issues that can be prevented. If there are any problems, be sure to get them looked at and fixed right away to avoid further damage to the unit or your home.

Reach out to us at Comfort Plus if you have more questions about your new home’s air conditioner. You can also print this so you remember which temperature to set your air conditioner come summer time and to schedule regular maintenance.