An air conditioner can make or break the ambiance that most individuals are seeking in their home. Unfortunately, air conditioners break frequently due to common mistakes that many people make without even knowing it.

Appliances Too Close to the Thermostat. A thermostat is a crucial tool used in heating and cooling homes. Thermostats work by gauging the temperature of the air surrounding them and then telling the air conditioner or heating system to either cool or warm the air. Unfortunately, some homeowners place appliances quite near to thermostats, which can tell them that the air is warmer than it actually is. The thermostat will in turn kick on the air conditioning for the whole house, actually overcooling the house in order to compensate for that one pocket of warm air closest to the appliance by the thermostat. This can cost homeowners hundreds of dollars yearly.

Dirty Filters. A neglected air filter that has become dirty and is in need of replacement can cause many problems for air conditioning systems. One such problem stems from air not being able to come and go from the system easily. Cold air can become trapped near the air conditioner due to the clogged filter, causing the internal temperature of the air conditioner to drop. Air conditioners with a low internal temperature will eventually freeze up and stop working. A dirty filter can also cause systems to cycle in shorter and more frequent episodes, causing inefficiency in the overall system. The more frequently the system runs, the more homeowners will have to pay. Change your filter regularly, or arrange to have an air conditioning maintenance company do so for you. 

Oversized Systems. Homeowners who have chosen a unit that is too large for their home may experience problems like dry skin and unevenly cooled rooms. Air conditioners have a dehumidifying feature that sucks moisture out of air, and if your air conditioner is doing this too much, you will definitely feel it. Additionally, the larger system may not be efficient in the space for which it is chosen. Help with choosing an appropriately sized unit can be found here.

Lowering the Temperature Quickly. One huge mistake that many children and teens make is that they play outside in the heat and then come into a home that they feel is not cool enough. Instead of waiting for their internal temperature to lower, they lower the temperature on the thermostat by several degrees, which can cause the system to work harder than it needs to. This will also cause the system to run more cycles than it needs to, wasting energy.