If you live in a large home, you might find it difficult cooling off all of the rooms necessary without an insanely high energy bill. Here are some tips for keeping your home cooled off even with its larger size.

Have Central A/C Installed

First of all, while there are many different types of air conditioners, central air conditioning is usually recommended in a large home with an open floor plan. The reason is because most other HVAC units only provide cool air in a single room or area of your home. This means while your living room and dining area might be cool from a window unit or a split-system air conditioner, the rest of your home needs additional units in order to cool off. With a central unit, the cool air is pushed through the ducts and out the vents, which are installed in every room. You will have the same amount of cooling power in all parts of your home.

Use Ceiling Fans With the Air Conditioner

A common issue with having an air conditioning in a large home is that the system ends up using a lot of energy because it is trying to cool off all rooms at the same time. A good way to remedy this issue is to raise the temperature on your thermostat by a few degrees, then use ceiling fans or room fans to blow the cool air around. While the temperature is adjusted to where it isn't quite as cool as you would like, the fans are helping to blow that cool air around, so it makes it feel a lot cooler in different areas of your home. The fans likely use much less energy than the air conditioning unit, so you end up paying less each month with your utility bills.

Make Sure the House is Sealed Up

It is also crucial that your house is sealed up properly before you turn on your air conditioner. This is a common mistake made that can ultimately lead to an increase in energy costs. Since you have a larger house, your air conditioner is working even harder to try and cool the extra square footage. This means even more energy is wasted if it is working harder due to cracks or holes in the foundation. Check closely around all windows and doors to look for signs of cracks that need to be filled. Also check the condition of your windows and weatherstripping.