Summer may be just around the corner, but the warm weather certainly isn’t shy about showing up early in sunny Queensland! Not only does summer mean storms, but it also means CHRISTMAS!! We want to make sure that you keep your appliances AND cash safe this festive season with our Summer Savvy tips for your appliances.

 

1. AIR CONDITIONER

It goes without saying that the air conditioner will be getting well used as the weather warms up!  The extra use doesn’t need to send your power bill through the roof though.  Here are the best ways to be savvy with your air conditioner this summer:

• Make sure you clean your filters regularly.  By doing this at least once a month, you can reduce your energy usage by up to 15%.

• Set your air conditioner to “dry” mode before setting the temperature too low.  Because we live in such a humid part of the world, we tend to feel hotter more quickly.  This usually leads to us setting the temperature lower than it really needs to be.  In turn, this ends up costing you more money when your power bill arrives.  Next time you’re feeling the urge to turn down that temperature, try changing the setting of your unit to “dry” instead.  The “dry” mode will help extract excess moisture from the room which will make you feel cooler while using less energy than the standard “cooling” mode.

• The ideal temperature setting is between 22°C-24°C.  It is common for people to think that setting the unit to a lower temperature on a higher setting will cool a room down faster.  However, regardless of what temperature you set your air conditioner to, the unit will still reach the desired temperature at the same speed.

• Ensure that your doors and windows are closed to prevent the cold air escaping and warm air getting in.  The addition of warm air will make your air conditioner use more energy to try and keep the room cool.

• Shade your room.  The sun will always add extra heat to your room and make your air conditioner work harder to keep it cool.  By drawing the blinds or using tint on your windows, the temperature will be lower to start with meaning you may not need to use your air conditioner or can keep it set on a higher temperature.

• If you are are considering getting a new air conditioner for your home, ensure you get a professional to properly measure your room to ensure you get the right size unit.  A unit that is too small will use a lot of unnecessary power to try to cool down the space (and still won’t get the room cool enough), while a unit that is too large for the space will also use more power than necessary.  This is because it will reach it’s thermostat set point too quickly, and therefore will start up and shut down more often.  This  can mean that the unit won’t dehumidify the room properly, and can also reduce the life of the machine.

 

2. FRIDGE/FREEZER

Summer is the most common time for fridges and freezers to have problems.  Sometimes these issues can be avoided.  Here are some ideas to help keep your fridge and freezer working throughout the hot weather:

• Ensure you leave enough room around the outside of the fridge to allow the heat produced from the condenser to escape easily.

• Ensure your fridge isn’t too tightly packed inside to allow cool air to easily flow between items.

• Make sure you don’t open the door too frequently or leave the door open for extended periods of time to prevent cold air escaping.

• Ensure your doors seal tightly.  Any cold air that escapes through an unsealed door will make your fridge work harder to keep cold, you may also find your food spoils faster than it should.  It’s a good idea to give your seals a quick clean with soapy water to ensure they aren’t sticky and seal tightly.

• Defrost your freezer.  If your freezer doesn’t have a frost-free feature, you will usually need to defrost your freezer about once a year.  By doing so, your freezer will run more efficiently.  Ice acts as an insulator, so an excess build up of ice will make the machine work harder in order to get the cold air flowing.

• No doubt your ice maker will be getting more of a work out with the warmer weather.  Ensure the water filtration system is clean in order to prevent “slushy” ice.

 

3. DRYER

Queensland is notorious for it’s summer storms and rain.  Usually we will turn to our dryer’s to ensure our clothes are getting dried.  Here are some tips to keep your dryer in tip-top shape this storm season:

• Ensure you clean your lint filter after EVERY use.  This is so important and can’t be stressed enough!  Even a small amount of lint left in the filter is enough to spark a fire.

• Don’t overload your dryer.  Generally speaking, the dryer’s that we purchase don’t have a weight limit as high as our washing machines.  Be careful that you don’t put a full load of wet washing in your dryer if it’s load limit can’t handle it.  Overloading your dryer will mean that your clothes won’t come out dry enough, as well as potentially causing damage to the motor, belts and other moving parts.

4. STORM SAFETY

Coming into our storm season, please keep these tips in mind to keep your appliances and yourself safe.

• Storms, as well as other causes of power surges and spikes can have a detrimental impact on your electrical appliances.  To prevent a very expensive incident, it is a great idea to have a surge protector professionally installed either at the power point that the appliance is plugged into, or at the main switch board.  It is important to keep in mind that a surge protector is different to a safety switch.  A safety switch is designed to keep people safe, while a surge protector is designed to keep appliances safe.

• If you don’t have surge protector’s installed, ensure you unplug your electrical items if a storm is approaching.

• If your electrical appliances do receive damage from a storm, never attempt to perform electrical work yourself!  Not only is it illegal for non-licensed people to perform electrical work, domestic electrical items can be a lot more dangerous than most people realise.