How To: Programming Air Conditioners for Better Efficiency
With summer in full force, that usually means your air conditioning is also set to full force. Keeping cool is essential. But what isn’t essential, is the piling electricity bill at the end of the month.
We’ve written a post about how Home Automation leads to reduced electricity bills and energy efficiency. But what steps can you take to bring those pesky bill down?
We’ve listed down three life hacks you can try out this summer; that will make you a smarter consumer.
1- Time it:
Many believe that if you run your air conditioning the full day, it is better than switching it off and on. Unfortunately that is not the case.
Having the AC run all day uses 317% as much energy as turning it on after work and cooling it down to the same temperature.
The reason is that with the AC constantly running, your home is being cooled, making it a heat magnet. Heat goes to where it’s not, so when your house is cooler, more heat will try to enter. More heat means your AC works over and over again to remove the heat.
Hence increasing the cooling processes wearing out your system and increasing your energy consumption. What’s the solution?
There are two options here. First to manually set a timer to your AC unit thermostat. Another more convenient option is the installation of a KNX HVAC (Heating, ventilation, Air Conditioning) system in your home. Turning your air conditioning into a smart solution.
HVAC control under KNX systems give you ultimate climate
control throughout your residence. With these smart
automation systems, you can set your timer according to
when you need it the most. KNX allows for multiple user
setting which means you can have several units connected.
Simply set the timer to turn off about the time you leave
for the day, and to turn back on a half hour before you
get home.
2- Control It:
Did you know that each degree below 25°C/78°F will increase your energy use by 3-4%? Considering that a typical AC unit consumption is between 325 to 425 watts, there’s room for substantial energy wastage.
All you need to to is lower your air conditioner’s thermostat setting to25°C/78°F. If you are not at home, set your thermostat to a higher temperature.
With home automation solutions available at Future Energy, you have a central control system for your HVAC. How?
Your
Future Energy solution
using KNX provides individual room control whether it is
for heating or cooling. You can interlocking the system
with window contact preventing loss of heat or cold. KNX
communicates with the controller to adapt the generation
of heat or cold to the requirements of the room.
During the night when the rooms are not normally occupied, they are cooled down with cool outside air. This two degree change in temperature can save you 5% to 15% on your bills!
3- Maintain It:
What happens when your system just wont cool? You are likely to crank up the temperature to compensate. How can you ensure that your AC does what it should while being efficient?
Maintain it.
Cooling doesn’t happen magically. Its all in the technology, and like any technology it requires some TLC. The key component in any AC unit is the filter.
Its important that you get them checked and replaced if needed every other month. You may need to do it monthly during heavy use months- Bahrain Summer comes to mind.
The reason behind this, is that a dirty filter slows down the flow of air, which means your HVAC unit works twice as hard. Which means, twice the energy consumption- twice the bills.
Energy Saver has a good checklist that you can follow to ensure that your unit operates with maximum efficiency.
Whatever you plan to do with your HVAC system, one simple action that combines all your energy saving efforts is; home automation.
The best part is, its never too late to turn your home smart. HVAC automation with our KNX products allows for energy saving and efficiency at any stage of your home owner experience.
If you want to learn more about how Future Energy Solutions can help you, get in touch with us for a free consultation.
