When it warms up outside, there’s nothing like opening up the windows to get some fresh air inside a home that may have been closed up for a while.
Although it may not seem like a big deal, it’s a practice not recommended for several reasons.
More Work for the Air Conditioner
Even with closed windows, one of the biggest ways air escapes from inside your home is through windows. The work your air conditioner does to cool down and maintain comfortable temperatures inside literally goes out the window when you open them.
You’ll find yourself turning the air conditioner up to keep temperatures cool, which makes your air conditioner run longer and work harder to maintain the set temperature.
The longer your unit runs and the harder it has to work seriously impacts all those working parts and shortens the lifespan of your air conditioner.
If you think since the outside air is a bit cool and turning on the air conditioner to keep the air inside even cooler, think again. Keeping the windows open to allow a nice cool breeze inside while running the air conditioner is counterproductive. It is not effective when trying to keep your home cool inside.
High Energy Bills
If you’ve been to the grocery store or gas station lately, you have probably felt the pinch of skyrocketing prices for nearly everything.
Your energy bills are no different.
When running the air conditioner with open windows, you’ll end up paying a lot more each month for all the extra energy it takes for your air conditioner to keep temperatures cool.
You’ll feel the pinch of higher energy bills by running the air conditioner for longer periods of time at higher settings,
Air Quality Lowers, Humidity Levels Rise
Not only does running the air conditioner with the windows open make the unit work longer and harder, but all the dusty air, outside contaminants and potential allergens get inside, which circulate throughout your home, lowering the air quality.
That refreshing fresh air brings humidity inside and your air conditioner has to work extra hard not only to cool down the house but dry up the humid conditions. Your air conditioning system works harder to get your home back to the optimum levels of coolness and comfort.
Shortens the Lifespan of the Air Conditioner
As the air conditioner circulates dusty outside air throughout your home, the dust and dusty soil particles can enter and settle in your ducts and HVAC unit.
The longer you run your AC, the more potential there is for parts to wear out, break down and need replacement.
Outside dust and humidity can also affect your thermostat by settling both inside and outside of the thermometer, leading to a potential malfunction.
Alternatives to Opening Windows While Running the Air Conditioner
To save your air conditioner a lot of extra work, shorten its lifespan and save money on energy bills, try these alternatives:
Keep Curtains or Blinds Closed
When the sun is blazing and temperatures are high, keep the curtains or blinds closed. It helps to keep your home cool by blocking direct sunlight from heating things up inside.
Invest in New Windows
Old and drafty windows work against the effort your AC unit puts in the cool down your home. The glass and new seals of new windows deflect more of the hot sun and do a better job of keeping cool air inside.
Set and Forget your Thermostat
Set your thermostat to a cool, consistent temperature and let the auto feature do its work of kicking in as needed to keep your home at a set temperature.
By constantly changing the temperature, the air conditioner will be running more and working harder to keep up with demands of repeated temperature adjustments.
Conclusion
In the long run, leaving those windows closed while running the air conditioner saves the strain put on the cooling system, extends the working parts and lifespan of your AC and saves you money each month.
If it’s time to upgrade your air conditioning system to a newer, more energy efficient model to start things out right, be sure to call the HVAC professionals at Dale HCS in Santa Rosa, keeping customers cool throughout Sonoma County.