Heat getting to you yet? If not, you can bet it probably is getting to your AC unit. Greg Brooks with Walton EMC said there are some things that you can do to help your AC unit cope.
“Dang, it’s really early to be this hot,” he said, going on to assure us that the grid is designed to cope.
“While these extreme temps make our air conditioners work hard, Georgia’s electric grid is strong and currently delivering reliable service as it’s designed to do. We get many questions from our customer-owners about their air conditioner during heat waves like this. It’s actually NORMAL for AC units to struggle during extreme temperatures. Why? Because it doesn’t make economic sense to design and install systems for relatively rare occasions like these,” Brooks said. “Yes, you could buy an AC unit that would freeze you out right now. But, 99.9 percent of the time, you won’t need that oversized unit you spent extra money on. And actually, a grossly oversized AC unit won’t cool properly during normal conditions.”
Brooks said it is completely normal right now for your AC not be able to cool your home to 72, 74 or maybe even 76 degrees and It’s also normal for the unit to run continuously, especially during daylight hours. He gave some tips on how consumers can reduce the heat load in their home – and the impact on their electric bill.
- Set the thermostat higher, to say 78 degrees, and use fans to create a wind-chill effect.
- Use LED lights. They emit much less heat. Then, turn off lights that you’re not using.
- Grill or eat out rather than running the stove and oven.
- Put off using other heat-producing appliances until late at night.
- Close blinds and curtains during the day to keep the sun’s rays out.
- Check the attic for adequate insulation. Seal cracks and openings with caulk or weatherstripping.
- Make sure AC vents are unobstructed. Change the AC filter if it’s dirty.
- See if your utility has a levelized billing program that averages bills over the entire year.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.