Every year the arrival of summer involves days of great heat and mugginess and pushes many to purchase or switch on air conditioners, now available on the market at fairly affordable prices and present in all shops, workplaces and in numerous houses. If air conditioning can be useful to cope with high temperatures, it must be remembered that it is a very unsustainable solution both from an energy and environmental pollution point of view.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Every year the arrival ofsummer involves days of great hot and grandfather and pushes many to buy or switch on conditioners, now available on the market a rather affordable prices and present in all shops, in workplaces and in numerous homes. If theconditioned air it can be useful to cope with high temperatures, we must remember that it is a very unsustainable solution both from the energetic and from the point of view environmental pollution.
However, if you really can't do without it, here 7 mistakes to avoid, to use it as wisely as possible, trying to save on consumption (as far as possible ...) and avoiding waste that is harmful to both the world around you and your wallet:
1. Purchase an oversized air conditioner
Many people tend to think that a larger air conditioner cools homes faster and is also more efficient. In reality, the dimensions of the air conditioner should always be proportionate to the environment in which it is placed. An appliance that is oversized compared to the room to be cooled cannot determine a uniform temperature or reduce the humidity of the air: on the contrary, it works inefficiently, alternating the switching on and off phases too quickly. Likewise, an undersized air conditioner also performs poorly. The advice, therefore, is to always buy appliances in line with their actual needs, without being approximate and without wanting to overdo it.
2. Place the air conditioner in a warm area of the house
Contrary to what one might imagine, it is not convenient to place the air conditioner in the hottest area of the house or in a spot exposed to direct light. This location in fact determines a excessive consumption of energia, much higher than necessary: it is therefore wiser to install the air conditioner in ashaded area, possibly facing north or north-east.
3. Place the thermostat near heat sources
In order not to waste energy, make sure that the thermostat of your air conditioner is away from heat sources which lamps and appliances, which could distort the measurement of the room temperature, making the device work unnecessarily.
4. "Hide" the air conditioner
The air conditioner is not an elegant piece of furniture or of particular aesthetic value, we agree. This does not mean, however, that it should hide it behind plants oh you tend: in this way, in fact, appearances are perhaps privileged but it ends up obstruct ventilation and for clog the drain, resulting in inefficient and expensive operation of the appliance. Are you sure it's worth it?
5. Do not do maintenance
Many think that, once purchased, the air conditioner is "forever", ignoring that it must be constantly subject to cleaning e maintenance: a little attention, in fact, not only improves the performance of the product, but extends its life. For this, i filtersthey should be checked and cleaned every two months and, if they are in bad condition, replaced. Once a year, then, they should be checked there evaporation coil and drain channel. And don't forget to check that the fixtures home they are in good condition and do not disperse - depending on the season - fresh air or heat.
6. Keep the temperature too low
An authentic mystery of our time is the following: if in winter you need to set the heating of the house above 23-24 degrees, otherwise it "feels cold", because in summer - when you go around much more uncovered - should the air conditioner be set below 20 degrees? Keeping the air conditioner temperature very low is not a sustainable choice e it is not healthy for our body. Generally, in fact, the temperature inside our homes should be at most 5 degrees lower than the external one: a higher overhang could be harmful. In the summer, therefore, it would be wise to set the air conditioner between 25 and 27 degrees.
7. Leave the air conditioner on all day
Rather than running the air conditioner all day, even when you are away, learn to program switching on and off, so that the appliance starts shortly before your return home and switches off shortly after you leave or go to sleep. Programming is the smartest choice for a good use of the air conditioner.
Lisa Vagnozzi
Also read 7 ways to beat the heat without resorting to air conditioning
