Today technology is everywhere, from the slick new Tesla you’ve made your dream car to your smartphone that keeps you in touch with friends and family around the globe.
Tech is a vast industry and can be tricky to understand if you’re new to it. To help you get a better grip, we’ve rounded up some top tech tips that are sure to make your life more efficient.
1. Turn Off Your Phone
Turning off your phone is an easy way to save your battery and extend its life. It also prevents it from losing connection to the network.
Whether you use an iPhone or an Android, turning off your device is essential to maintaining its health and safety. In addition, it can help you focus on more important things in your life instead of constantly checking it.
If you have an iPhone, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the right side of your device along with either volume buttons. This should cause the power-off slider to appear on your screen.
If your phone keeps randomly shutting off, it may be a hardware problem. It can either be a loose battery or a bad connector.
2. Turn Off Your Computer
Have you ever had your computer turn on and off for no apparent reason? If so, this is one of the most frustrating situations you can find yourself in. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to minimize your exposure to this tech faux pas.
Firstly, don’t try to shut your computer down without a good reason. This can lead to a variety of problems from power outages to blown fuses, and even the loss of your unsaved data.
You might also want to consider turning off your computer for the night and giving it a rest. Leaving it on for extended periods of time is not only an energy guzzler, but it can also lead to serious security breaches. The best way to ensure that your computer isn’t a drain on the grid is by setting up a timer.
3. Turn Off Your Lights
Turning off your lights is one of the most basic things you can do to reduce your energy usage and save money on your electricity bill. It can also help you reduce your carbon footprint and protect the environment.
Leaving your lights on overnight is a huge drain on your home’s energy, especially if you use incandescent lighting. It can also be a fire hazard, so it’s important to turn your lights off when you leave the house.
If you have a light bulb that’s 40 watts, for example, then in one hour it will use 0.04 kWh. You can use that number and your electricity price — which you can find on your recent utility bill – to figure out how much money you’ll save by turning off the lights for an hour.
4. Turn Off Your TV
The TV has been a staple of modern culture for generations, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep it on all the time. That’s why National TV-Turnoff Week was created. It is a fun and free event that aims to encourage the entire family to unplug for a few days and let their imaginations run wild.
In the spirit of the theme, we have rounded up some of the hottest tech products around to help you de-stress and get more done in less time.
There are many ways to go about it, but the one that stands out among the crowd is turning off your television using a remote control. The best part is that you can do this on most any modern flat screen. It is especially nice when you are on a vacation and can’t rely on cable to get your fix of televised content.
5. Turn Off Your Air Conditioner
As the temperatures fall, it’s time to give your air conditioner a break. You should turn it off for a few reasons, including energy savings and maintenance.
When you’re preparing to turn off your AC, make sure to locate the shutoff switch on your unit. This will ensure that your house remains safe when you’re not using it.
You should also turn off your system’s circuit breaker box, which is usually located in basements, closets, crawl spaces, or on the side of your home.
If your AC keeps flipping off and on, there might be a problem with your thermostat or a faulty part of the system. Having professionals inspect your HVAC system is a good idea. They can repair problems like a faulty electrical relay switch, dirty condenser coils, or a bad fan. They can even replace your thermostat’s batteries.
6. Turn Off Your Refrigerator
While your fridge might be the last thing on your mind as you’re trying to get a few winks, it’s a good idea to turn it off from time to time. It can help to lower your energy bill and extend the life of your appliance as well.
A quick and easy way to do this is to simply unplug your refrigerator from the wall. Then, wait it out for 15 minutes to let it recharge. You can also toggle and turn off your unit via a circuit breaker. To be safe, the most important part of this process is to make sure that you’re using the correct circuit breaker. That is a simple matter of checking the manual to see which one your refrigerator uses and following the instructions to the letter. This will ensure that you’re not wasting your money on an ineffective breaker that will only cause more harm than good.
7. Turn Off Your Water Heater
A water heater is a plumbing apparatus that heats water and pumps it around your home for use in showers, sinks, and laundry. They can be fueled by gas or electricity and are found in most homes.
They can also be used to store hot water for future use. They come in direct-fired, indirect-fired, and tankless variations.
Turning off your water heater is a crucial part of keeping your home safe and functioning properly. You can do this for a number of reasons, including when you’re going on vacation or have to drain it for repairs or maintenance. It’s also a good idea to do so when your unit is not in use for extended periods of time. This is especially true for gas units. It can help save you money and energy, and it will help protect your pipes from freezing.
9. Turn Off Your Lights
One of the best ways to save energy is to turn off your lights when you’re not using them. This will reduce your electricity bill and help the environment.
It’s also important to know that the most efficient lighting scheme is not just about turning off the lights, it’s also about reducing the number of lights in your home. To that end, you may want to consider timers and sensors that can be set to turn off your lights at the flick of a switch.
It’s also worth mentioning that the most energy efficient lights are not just a watt or two off, they are actually more energy efficient than the old standbys. So, be sure to try and turn off your lights as much as possible. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to make your home more energy efficient.
10. Turn Off Your TV
Your TV is an investment, so you want to make sure it lasts as long as possible. Leaving your television on standby can save you money in the long run.
If your TV is turning off unexpectedly, it’s likely a problem with the power supply. It’s easy to fix this issue by performing a manual power reset.
The first step is to unplug your television from the wall outlet and leave it for a few minutes. This will give the system a chance to cool down.
Depending on your TV model, it may have an automatic sleep timer that will automatically turn off the device after a preset period of inactivity. It’s a good way to conserve energy and save you from having to turn it off manually.
