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Homes: Buying an Energy-Efficient Air Conditioner

Here are some tips for running or buying an energy efficient air conditioners:

• Installing a ceiling fan in the largest room of your house will let you lower air conditioner setting by 2-4 degrees Celsius (about 25% of home cooling energy costs)
• In winter, reverse the ceilingfan rotation in winter to "clockwise" to push ceiling heat down to room level
• Clean filter screen once a month. This will reduce fan usage and save electricity.
• When turning on your air conditioner, avoid using the coldest setting. Let the air conditioner warm up for a while before lowering the temperature setting. The room will cool just as fast.
• Keep leaves and other debris off the condensing unit, and gently brush webs and dust from condensing coils. Ensure that airflow is not obstructed; allow 18" open space clearance from the condenser.
• If buying a new air conditioner, choose a model with an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 10.0 or higher.