Many people these days are looking for any possible way to save money on their utility bills. And because of this, many have learned that the usual “big sucker” of money within energy expenditures is their air conditioning unit or units.
It would be wonderful to be able to cut back on the use of A/C to save money. Unfortunately with regards to that end, the reason that air conditioning units are so widely used is because they provide tremendous comfort to us when we have to be in enclosed areas during hot (and often quite humid) months of the year.
The big benefits of air conditioning come with a hefty price tag because an A/C unit requires a lot of electricity to run it. People try keeping the temperature setting on the unit a few degrees higher in order to save money, but then they aren’t getting the full benefits and, furthermore, the savings that the lesser benefits are traded for are minor.
Isn’t there anything that can be done to reduce air conditioning expenses without sacrificing the benefits that A/C brings in the first place? The answer is “yes” — if you turn to the use of air cooler units instead.
Advantages of Air Coolers over Air Conditioning
Air cooler units are less expensive to purchase than comparable air conditioning units.
Air cooler units use significantly less electricity compared to air conditioners.
Air cooler units are portable and can be easily moved around to cool limited areas, allowing you to use less electricity to stay cool and comfortable. Even small A/C units need to be set up to cool a whole room.
Air cooler units don’t have the annoying installation troubles of air conditioners.
But as you’ve probably already guessed, air coolers are not “perfect” and there are some potential disadvantages to them for you to consider before you get one. The potential disadvantages are:
Air coolers aren’t as effective at decreasing the discomforts of high humidity as air conditioners are. Air coolers are designed to diminish the discomforting effects of hot temperatures.
Air coolers tend to be high maintenance compared to A/C.
Air coolers need a continual new water supply, which especially means that they might not be as effective as a continually running A/C during a hot, humid night.
Some people with respiratory ailments may find that air coolers exacerbate their problems.
Balanced Solution
Many people are going to fidn that their best solution to saving money while keeping cool and comfortable home interiors during hot months is to use a mixture of air coolers and air conditioning. Simply put, air coolers should be used predominantly and only when their benefits become minor should the more expensive air conditioning units be installed and turned on. However, people who live in smaller homes or in areas of lower humidity, and people who just don’t feel overly discomforted by humid conditions, may be able to do away with A/C altogether, replacing it entirely with air cooler units.
Whichever solution is the right one for you, the use of air cooler units will save you money and put less of a burden on our aging electrical grid infrastructure.