If you have ever spent a summer in Florida, you know it gets hot and staying cool can be expensive. Keeping your home or office air conditioned in the summer can be quite expensive, but there are some things you can do to help. Here are 6 tips from a leading Jacksonville AC Company, McgowansAC.com.

1. Keep your air filters clean. Clean air filters help your cooling system run more efficiently. You should check them every 1 – 3 months depending on your home. Homes that have animals should check and replace them more often.
2. Don’t turn your AC on and off. It does not save you money to turn the AC off and on every time you come and go from your home. It is ok to turn the AC a few degrees every time you leave, but shutting it off and on is inefficient and will leave you uncomfortable. When an AC is left off for hours and heat is allowed to build up in the house, it will take the AC much longer and much more energy to cool the house back down.
3. Keep your blinds and curtains shut. Keeping your blinds and curtains shut will block the sun from coming into your house and heating it up. This is also true of exterior doors and windows. Having air tight doors and windows will keep cool air from escaping, and will help to keep interior temperatures low.
4. Keep objects clear of your outside unit. Never cover your outside unit with any kind of bag or plastic. This may cause rusting, and will prevent the unit from breathing properly. It is also important to keep the space directly above the unit clear. Failing to do so could cause warm air to circulate back into the unit creating inefficiency.
5. Size correctly. Getting an AC unit that is recommended for a larger space than you have is not a good a idea. An oversized unit will not keep you any cooler than a properly sized unit, and it will operate less efficiently and effectively than the properly sized one. Let a professional help you select the optimal unit for your space, and maximize on efficiency.
6. Don’t place appliances near thermostat. Keep TVs, toasters, refrigerators, and any other heat producing appliances away from your thermostat. The thermostat may sense the heat from these appliances and cause it run longer and harder than necessary.

These are just a few of the tips that could help to save you money during the cooling season. If you have any tips that have worked in your home or office, please let us know in the comment section. Visit www.McGowansAC.com for more tips and facts on how to save energy next summer.