Blog

Aug 23, 2023

How to know if your AC is working properly and how to save money on your energy bill

by: Jason Takhtadjian Posted: Aug 22, 2023 / 07:27 PM CDT Updated: Aug 22, 2023 / 07:27 PM CDT SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Siouxland continues to deal with record-breaking heat, and one way to stay cool

by: Jason Takhtadjian

Posted: Aug 22, 2023 / 07:27 PM CDT

Updated: Aug 22, 2023 / 07:27 PM CDT

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Siouxland continues to deal with record-breaking heat, and one way to stay cool is to stay home and crank up the AC.

According to solar.com, the average electric bill in the U.S. is around $150 a month. Those prices can skyrocket with complications to your AC unit, so now is a good time to make sure your unit is in top shape.

“The hot weather really taxes air conditioners,” President of Kalins Indoor Cooling Bruce Kalin said.

Siouxland is hot. So hot that air conditioning companies like Kalins Indoor Comfort are staying busy in the heat.

“Literally dozens and dozens, so I always say we could lock the room up and just tell by how the phone rings what the temperature is outside,” Bruce Kalin said.

Ac units in the Siouxland area are under a lot of stress due to record-breaking temperatures leading to some units breaking down.

“When it gets super hot like this and they haven’t been maintained, and it could be other issues as well. It could be dirty condenser coils, dirty filters, and then it gets technical from there but it just stresses the air conditioner when it’s this warm,” Kalin said.

If your AC unit is not being worked on, then there’s a good chance it’s running right now. That also means your electricity bill is climbing.

“People do see higher bills at this time of year. We have these big heat waves like this and its just because your ac is running nonstop,” Nebraska Public Power District’s Grant Otten said.

However, there are some things you can do to lower your energy bill.

“The higher you set it, the less your ac is going to run, right. So if you could take it up a couple of degrees, that’s going to help save a little bit of money,” Otten said.

“When it’s this hot, don’t wait to turn the air conditioner on until the middle of the day. Set the thermostat where you’re comfortable and let it run. You might close some drapes and windows to keep that sun out and just maintain that temperature as much as possible,” Kalin said.

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.