The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Air Con Unit This Summer

While we’d all rather be at the beach or enjoying the outdoors with friends or family, many of us will spend a large portion of the summer months indoors, trying not to sweat too much. An air con unit is a lifesaver during the sweltering summer season. 

With energy prices rising, the costs of running an AC unit are something on the mind of many home and business owners. Going without air con in our climate is unthinkable, so what can you do to strike a balance?

As an Australian-owned and operated company, we understand how vital a cool, comfortable environment is to you during the summer. So, we’ve prepared The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Air Con Unit This Summer to help you understand things like ideal temperatures and provide tips to help you keep the costs down.

What’s the best temperature to set your air con during summer?

As any office worker will tell you, this is a hotly contested question. Many people have very definite opinions on the issue, but thankfully there are some helpful general guidelines that you can use to work out the optimum temperature.

Overall, the best temperature to set your air conditioning unit during the summer is between 25°C to 27°C. Before you forward this article to everyone on your company Slack to prove that you were right all along, it’s important to remember that there are a few caveats.

The ideal temperature of between 25°C to 27°C is based on the average temperatures where you live. But as you know, Australia is a land of extremes, and nowhere is that more visible than in our weather. 

So, if you want to work out the optimal cooling temperature for where you live, you need to look at moderate regional temperatures. We’ve included a table below that shows you the best air con temperatures to guide you when you’re at the controls.

The critical thing to remember is that air con temperatures are about balancing efficiency and comfort. As the temperatures rise outside, you’ll need to ask the air con to work that bit harder.

In short:

• If you live in a warmer region, you’ll have to keep your air con at a lower temperature during the summer
• If you live in a colder area, you can keep your air conditioning temperature slightly higher.

OK, got it. But what difference between internal and external temperatures is the best?

Now we have the average regional temperatures locked down, it’s time to think about the difference between internal and external temperatures. Experts suggest that keeping your AC at 8°C cooler than the outdoors is the perfect balance between comfort and efficiency. 

So, while you might love the cool embrace of 18°C, if it’s about 30°C outside, try about 22°C indoors. It will still feel nice, but you won’t be using too much energy.

We hope that this settles the office debates once and for all, and you can all go back to arguing about football or who really makes the best coffee.

What temperature is best for a summer night?

Just like with daytime temperatures, the best setting for your air con at night depends on several factors, chief among them personal preference. However, there are some loose rules that you can follow.

For starters, think about the temperatures outdoors. If it’s low enough, you might be able to just open the window and have a perfectly cool night’s sleep. Of course, in some Australian regions, the temperature can be low, but it can be very clammy. In these situations, set the dial to 1 or 2°C below outside to remove the humidity while you sleep.

Air conditioner running costs

Post-COVID-19, we’ve all seen a shocking rise in the cost of living. With inflation rates expected to peak at rates not seen since the 1980s, ensuring that your air con unit is efficient has never seemed more important. 

Recent news about the rise of energy prices, which experts suggest will be up by 50% during 2023-24, make for uncomfortable reading. So what can you do to keep costs down?

Well, first, let’s talk about how temperature settings affect energy costs. It’s fairly simple. The more work you ask your air con unit to do, the more energy it requires. So, if you keep the temperatures low, your unit will cost more to run.

It’s hard to say precisely how much an air conditioning unit will add to your energy bill because there is a massive variance in local temperatures and the quality of each unit.

Ergon Energy has a very useful air conditioning calculator that you can use to estimate your energy costs. To get a rough guide, you just plug in the following:

• Cooling capacity (in watts)
• Typical temperature settings
• Hours per day
• Weeks per year

If you punched in your typical usage and almost keeled over, don’t worry. Here are some tips that you can use to drive down your energy costs.

For a deeper dive into the subject, check out our helpful article, How Much It Costs To Run an Air Conditioning Unit (Compared to Other Appliances).

How to save costs when running air con during the summer

The simple answer is not to keep the temperature too low. However, while you might set out to do that in principle, when you’re sweating on your couch or all over your office, you’re bound to crack.

Upgrade your unit

Old and inefficient units need to work hard to condition the air. Too often, that means putting a strain on your energy bills. One of the best ways to reduce your bills is to take advantage of cutting-edge AC technology.

The world of air conditioning units has moved on. Modern machines, like the Australian-made residential units we offer at ActronAir, are more reliable and efficient and perform far better than past models. 

We understand the Australian conditions. Our units are built to survive extreme weather. Climate change is causing rising temperatures and heat waves. You need an aircon unit that can deliver.

Our air con units use Tru-Blue Technology. They’re Australian-made for Australian conditions. As the weather heats up and the heat waves start coming, we know that you need units that can handle the extremes. 

Unlike many big brands on the market, our units can handle heats of up to at least 50ºC. Some of the biggest, well-known AC units are rated for about 46ºC; after that, many of them stop working when you need them the most. That’s why we recommend buying something that was made for the Australian market and not cooler climates. We call it Complete Comfort Cover.

Choose the right size

If you are looking to add a new air-con system, there are a few things that you need to consider. One of the most crucial is choosing the size air conditioner.

If your unit is too big, it will use more energy than is required to heat your home or office. If it’s too small, it will need to be put in a constant shift to cool your air, which could result in a breakdown or part repair.

There are a lot of things to work out, including the height of your ceilings. Check out our article, What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need? for further information.

Stay in control

Air conditioning control systems, like NEO, offer lots of flexibility and customisation. While their stylish design is a selling point, they can also help you manage your air con and save money.  

Users can set timers and schedules, decide which zones get heating/cooling, and even control their air con via the NEO app from anywhere in the world. Greater control means you can run your air con only when you need it.

To help with hot days in the office, set your timer for your air con to start as the morning heat hits the building. This trick means the unit will have to do less work because the air will be cool when you get to work. 

Use ceiling fans

While ceiling fans won’t cool the temperature of a room, they can make it seem cooler. When you use a fan in conjunction with your air con, it can help reduce the reliance on your AC unit and save money. Basically, the fan will drag warm air up and cool air down. By redistributing the warm and cold air, you can run your AC a little warmer than you think.

Use zones wisely

Our Ducted air conditioning systems, like the Classic Series 2, can keep your entire home cool or target specific rooms or zones you use. For example, if you do remote work, you can keep your kitchen or working area cool while saving energy in the rest of your home.

Choose energy-saving models

Our Serene Series 2 split system unit is one of the most energy-efficient ACs on the market. The 2.65kW model has a 7-star energy rating and a sophisticated ECO model that allows it to use 65% less energy. Add in sensors that reduce energy use when there’s no one in the room and a dehumidification mode, and you’ve got the perfect AC for apartments and single rooms.

Summer air con tips

Here are a few tips that will help you have the best summer air conditioning experience

#1. Spring service

Your air con unit will be your best friend in the summer months, so make sure that you get it serviced annually to ensure peak performance. 

A lot of people wait until summer is well underway and temperatures are soaring before they think about getting their air con unit serviced. However, by then, any problems will have multiplied, and in the worst-case scenario, your unit could be broken or heavily underperforming.

So to reduce the cost of repairs and the possibility of days without air con, book a professional to have a quick look at your unit in Spring before you start using it on a regular basis. Unsurprisingly, it is the most demanding period of the year for installing and servicing so get in early or you may have to wait several weeks when they’re busy.

#2. Check your air filters regularly

While we might not notice, the air is full of dust, contaminants, hair, mould, and a whole host of other particles. Your air con unit filters are there to catch all these items and stop them from getting into the machine.

If you don’t regularly clean your filters, you can reduce the airflow in your unit. A neglected air filter can reduce air quality while asking your unit to do more work, which will cause your electricity bill to grow.

If you want to keep your unit running as well as possible, for as long as possible, keeping your filters clean, and replacing them when necessary, is the best way to ensure the health of your unit.

#3. Keep doors and windows closed

A lot of people don’t really understand how air con works, which is why you see people blasting their units with the windows open. If you want to get the most from your air con, keep windows and doors closed to keep in the cool air and keep out the hot air.

Additionally, small leaks around your doors and windows can reduce your air con unit’s effectiveness. So keep an eye out for this sort of thing and remedy it if you can to ensure maximum enjoyment.

Make it a summer to remember with ActronAir

At ActronAir, we have over 35 years of experience helping people make their homes and offices liveable during the warm summer months. The cost of living crisis and rising energy costs mean that most Australians are feeling the pinch. Now, more than ever, you need an AC unit that provides maximum value through energy efficiency and high performance.

So if you’re looking for an Australian Made approved product that was built for the extreme Australian environment, get in touch today.