While mobile homes can be a low cost living option, they are often not that insulated, and that can increase your cooling or heating bills. Want to help the air conditioner in your mobile home run more efficiently? Check out these tips:
1. Add insulated skirting around the base of the home.
If cool air is seeping out of the bottom of your mobile home, your air conditioner will have to work extra hard to keep your space cool. To prevent that from happening, add insulated skirting to the base of your mobile home. This is relatively easy to install, and it also adds a stylish element to your home as well.
2. Insulate the attic and add a fan.
If you have a relatively new mobile home with a pitched roof and storage space in the attic, you also want to ensure that area is well insulated. If possible, add an attic fan as well. This is quickly becoming a standard feature on many new mobile homes, but it can also be retrofitted into older homes. The fan boosts ventilation and helps to keep the attic space cool to interrupt the migration of heat from the sun to the roof to the attic to the house.
3. Seal gaps around window units.
If you are using a window air conditioner in your mobile home, make sure that the gaps or spaces around it are well sealed. If air can seep in or out, that can put unnecessary pressure on your cooling unit. Even if you don't have a window unit, make sure that your windows are well sealed, and if possible, use heavy, energy-efficient window treatments.
4. Make sure you have the right size air conditioner.
Mobile homes are relatively small, and as a result, they often don't need a cooling unit that is designed for a standard house. If your unit is too big, you will waste energy every time you run it. Whether you have a ducted HVAC unit, a mini split system or a window unit, make sure that it is the right capacity for the space you need, and if it's too big or too small, consider replacing it.
5. Schedule regular air conditioner repairs.
Finally, if you want your AC to run efficiently, you have to ensure that is is in a state of good repair. Schedule annual service appointments for your AC to clean the filters and check for any issues that may affect efficiency.
