Does opening the blinds have any effect on the air conditioning?

Yes, it changes the insulation properties of the house or room. The better insulated, the more effective the air conditioning. Blinds should closed for the best result and the lowest running costs.

daw

Surely it will have an effect. Whether that effect is significant or noticeable is a different question.

Physics to the rescue!

As DarkScribe says, yes. In opening your blinds you’re making the room less insulated, and this means that heat can be transferred into the room at a faster rate, increasing the load on the AC.

Also, if it’s super sunny, the windows will magnify the heat and let it into the room. Imagine what it would be like in a room made of glass, then imagine throwing curtains up over all the glass. It would likely be warmer without them. One window might not be as noticeable, though.

you guys are so smart :)

Clean furnace filter, making sure the outside unit is clean. All the debris/dust needs to be hosed out out of the outside unit at least once a year. Furnace filter needs to be changed/rinsed on a monthly basis.

@Facade : Your new pic is very cute! You have inspired me to change my avatar!

haha, thanks. that’s my babe :)

Here’s one thing you could consider if you want to minimize heat transfer and enjoy natural light without having harmful UV rays in an air conditioned room. I installed one on a picture window (in ivory) and it works fantastically!

@mcbealer Once i have a place of my own, I intend to purchase something very similar to that :)

@ubersiren That’s not strictly true. The windows would only “magnify” the heat if they were lens-shaped, and even then the total energy through sunlight entering the room would be the same as if the window were not lensed, only the energy would be focussed into a smaller space. The curtains should stop some of the heat energy which has passed through the glass from transferring into the room proper, by reflecting some of the light / heat back outside and just generally creating an air pocket which makes it harder for heat energy to penetrate into the room.

@WhatEvil : Maybe ‘magnify’ was the wrong word choice, but the point is that glass makes it hot inside if you’re trying to keep it air conditioned and don’t have curtains up. Touch a window in the heat of summer and it’s hot, and it’s not because hot air is coming through, it’s because the light is reflecting through. If there are no curtains to block the sun it’s gonna heat up your room.

That’s why they sell stuff like this and or you can do it yourself like this. This explains it better than I.