Feeling the heat? Take these steps to stay cool and save your AC system

BOSTON — When the sun beats down and temperatures soar into the 90′s, many of us do the same thing: we run to the thermostat and crank it down.

But Shichao Liu, an architectural engineering professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said turning your AC down to 60 on a hot day is the one thing you shouldn’t do because it doesn’t work.

Liu said most people think their air conditioning system works the same as a water faucet: the more you open the valve the more water you’ll get. But he said setting the thermostat to 60 will not result in colder air. It will just put more stress on your system and increase your utility bill.

“It can make people psychologically feel better but in reality, it doesn’t work that way,” Liu said.

When you leave your house for several hours, Liu recommends turning your thermostat up seven to ten degrees above what the normal set temperature. That can reduce your energy use by as much as ten percent.

Also, Liu said use fans to move cool air from your AC system to more parts of the house. He said fans go a long way to lowering the temperature in your home and are cost efficient.

“The air movement is a more effective strategy to make yourself cooler than turning down the air temperature,” Liu said.

Worcester resident Maura Jacobs said she uses fans to keep her house comfortable.

“I use a box fan in one of my rooms to try to and circulate it throughout the house. I set it up in the hallway so it kinds of pushes the air conditioning down the hallway to keep everybody cool,” Jacobs said.

Liu said overburdening your AC system will cost you in different ways, because it not only runs up your energy bill, but it also puts a strain on the device and can shorten the life span of your system.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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