As the summer heat hits, all around Australia homeowners are cranking up their air conditioning to try and create a cool escape from the summer heat. If you want to give your air conditioning the best chance of cooling your home, here are some hints that can help. 

Close the blinds and fill any gaps

One of the places that heat can easily enter the home is through the windows. Shutting blinds and curtains can limit the amount of heat that comes into heat up the rooms, as well as the amount of air conditioned air that can escape the house. If you have old windows you can often lose substantial amounts of cooled air through small leaks around the frame. These can easily be filled with putty or other window sealants.

Tip; Try upgrading to sun blockout blinds for extra blocking of the light and heat from the sun.

Turn off the lights and appliances when not in use

Turn off the lights and appliances (especially TVs, computers and cooking equipment) when not in use as these generate a significant amount of heat. Not only does this allow your house not to get as hot, as the heat cannot radiate from these items, but it also saves you money on electricity both from the appliances as well as your air conditioning. 

Tip; Try setting your lights on a timer, so that they automatically switch off if no one has been moving for a period of time.

Get your air conditioning serviced regularly

Set a reminder in your calendar to get the air conditioning system serviced annually, before you need to crank it up. Getting your air conditioning serviced in October or November can avoid the waiting lists that often build up for air conditioning service firms in the heat of summer. They can identify any issues early so they can be fixed before you really need the air conditioning, then get them fixed before you really need the air conditioning. Regular servicing can also help to extend the life of your air conditioning system.

Tip; Place a reminder in your calendar to organise an air conditioning system service in October, so you can't forget.

Using some simple changes to your house set up can help your air conditioning work as effectively as possible. Air conditioning contractors can be a great source of specific tips to increase your air conditioning efficiency, based on your home layout.