Get more out of your air conditioner with these 8 practical tips

Often, people set the air conditioner at far too low a temperature in order to immediately cool the house. This is not the most effective way to use your air conditioner. It is beneficial to set your air conditioner to a stable temperature - 21°C, for example.

It is important to always the ideal indoor temperature handle. The indoor and outdoor temperatures should not differ by more than 6°C. We see in practice that people turn the air conditioner much colder on hot days. This is not only bad for your energy bill but also too low a temperature can affect your overall comfort and health.

A second tip is to turn on your air conditioner before the heat (or cold) really hits. If you turn on the air conditioner before the temperature in your room gets too high, the unit does not have to run at full power all at once to cool the room. This causes the air conditioner to use less energy because it can lower the temperature gradually instead of suddenly using a large amount of energy to cool down quickly. This therefore results positively in your energy bill.

This also applies in the winter when you use your air conditioner to heat the room, even then it is recommended to raise the temperature before the real cold enters your home.

It is best to keep your windows, blinds and doors closed during the day when the air conditioner is running. This not only ensures that the air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard, but also prevents the sun from heating up your space and the house will stay cool. In winter, then, it's best to leave the windows and doors closed so the heat from your air conditioner can't escape from your home.

Do you have multiple air conditioners in your home? If so, only run the units in the room you are in and want to keep cool. Remember to turn off the air conditioner when you leave the house so you don't waste energy when no one is home. It's a simple way to optimize your energy use and save costs.

Another tip for using your air conditioner more efficiently is to use a timer or smart thermostat. By setting your air conditioner to turn on and off automatically at certain times, you prevent the unit from running unnecessarily when you don't need it. A smart thermostat itself can cause temperature to adjust to your daily routine or weather conditions. This way, you always have a comfortable environment without having to change the settings every time.

Make sure there are no heat sources, such as lamps, TVs or electrical appliances, close to your air conditioner. If the air conditioner is near a source of heat, it will have to work harder to cool the room, because the heat generated by the devices raises the temperature in the room. So it is best to place your air conditioner in a strategic location so that it can function optimally and use less energy.

It is important to regularly clean and onderhouden. With a monoblock air conditioner, this is easy. You can easily remove the grille at the top of the indoor unit and clean it with a cloth. You can also vacuum the filter located in the grille. In this way, you ensure optimum use of your air conditioner.

Note, with a split air conditioner, this is a little more difficult. Therefore, we recommend here to leave this to a recognized air conditioning specialist.

We recommend that you still have your air conditioner serviced at least once a year. This way you can enjoy the benefits of your air conditioner for a long time and it works most efficiently. As mentioned earlier, for a monoblock air conditioner you don't need to have an expert do this every time, but for a split air conditioner we do recommend it. The experts will then check the ventilation, compressor and filter.

If you find that your own maintenance of your monoblock is inadequate, be sure to contact an expert.