5 Quick Ways to Ruin Your Air Conditioner (Are You Guilty?)

Mistake #1 -- Turning Off Your AC on Hot Days

It sounds logical: turn off the AC when you're not home to save power.

But when you switch it back on, your unit has to work overtime to cool everything down---burning energy and straining the system.

What to do instead: Raise the temperature a few degrees while you're out, but let the system keep running. It uses less energy and reduces wear and tear.