King George, Va — As the summer temperatures set in, many Connecticut residents will be cranking on the air conditioner. There are some tips on how you can keep your home cool and the costs low.
Experts said a little preventive maintenance on your part could save you a bundle this summer.
“First thing, I would always tell everybody is make sure your air cleaner is very clean. Make sure you take it down, look at it, see what type it is, replace it with the same,” said Berkley Little, who is an instructor at Porter and Chester Institute.
In the fall, Little suggested covering up your unit with a piece of plywood to keep leaves and pine needles out. He added during the summer, be mindful as you care for your lawn.
“Mow your clippings away from your outside condensing units. The clippings will get into the unit, could possibly plug them up,” Little said. “You hit a stone, stone goes flying into unit, create a leak. Now, your unit is down and out, much more costly repair.”
Little said your thermostat shouldn’t fluctuate too much, a couple of degrees here and there.
“Drop your thermostat, in this case, up. Raise it up a couple of degrees when you’re not at home, and when you get home bring it back down to your comfortable level,” he said.
