AC Maintenance is Key to Saving Money

According to energy consumption experts like the Department of Energy, more than half of what we pay for utility bills are made up of cooling and heating bills. Imagine that! It only means that 1) we are making our utility companies quite rich and 2) for the standard typical home, our largest energy expense is attributed to central air conditioning repair and operation. Finally, as we fast approach the end of spring, that means that the cooling expenses will only rise, as the weather will be hotter and as we are still spending most of our time at home. we don’t have a choice but to use our HVAC systems to make our stay-at-home comfortable instead of us feeling like we are literally in hell with the heat.

With the impending rise of our utility bills, here are some suggestions on how to maintain our air conditioning systems to make it run efficiently and help lower electricity cost. At the same time, these tips are also of no cost, so we are giving you tips that don’t require you to shell out money and at the same time will save you money if implemented properly. How’s that for lots of savings?

Make sure that your AC’s outdoor unit is maintained.
Our HVAC systems are composed of internal and external components, the latter we tend to take for granted and overlook precisely because we don’t see these components often, especially these days when we’re more confined to staying at home instead of going out. Thus, we often forget to check on the outdoor condenser unit, which can get clogged with debris and as a result, not work as efficiently as it can be. There are lots of video resources available should you want to know how to properly clean your outdoor condenser by yourself, or you can of course hire an HVAC maintenance technician to perform a thorough cleaning.

Without condenser coil cleaning, your air conditioner will use more energy while simultaneously reducing its ability to cool your home. Essentially, you’ll be paying more for a unit that is doing less.
(Via: https://www.jerrykelly.com/blog/why-is-condenser-coil-cleaning-an-important-part-of-air-conditioner-maintenance)

Make sure that your indoor vents are maintained properly.
Dust and debris in your indoor vents can be vacuumed and kept free from particles that can clog them. This simple task of making sure the indoor vents are free of blockages can be a huge factor in proper airflow from your HVAC system. Also, making sure that the vents are not blocked by blinds, furniture, and other obstructions can also ensure that proper airflow is achieved. You get real value for the utility bills you’re paying!

Dust is removed from the duct system, preventing it from circulating through the air and landing on every surface in the home. Duct cleaning offers a cleaner home environment.
(Via: https://6andfix.com/the-importance-of-maintaining-clean-vents-and-ducts/)

Use your thermostat wisely.
A lot of us tend to forget that we have power over our thermostats, especially the manual ones. When we input our desired settings in the morning, we basically forget that we can increase or decrease the temperature to our liking depending on the weather conditions for the rest of the day. Thus, even when the air is cooler in the evenings, we are too lazy to change the thermostat settings to increase the temperature a bit, leaving us with more energy consumed. If you can’t be bothered with changing the settings throughout the day, then a programmable thermostat is what you need!

Casaundra Donahoe with SRP says the temperature inside of your home can affect your bill in a huge way. Raising the thermostat just two to three degrees in the summer can help your wallet. “You can save two to three percent on your overall cooling costs,” Donahoe said.
(Via: https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/does-changing-your-thermostat-a-degree-or-2-really-affect-your-wallet/75-595785810#:~:text=%22You%20can%20save%20two%20to,percent%20on%20energy%20cooling%20costs.)

Distance your appliances that produce heat away from the thermostat.
Appliances that produce heat somehow affects the way your thermostat reads the room temperature if somehow, it is near them. The system will have to work harder and run longer for ideal temperatures to be reached. Thus, your thermostat needs to be positioned in a way that there are no factors that will affect its performance. It should be situated away from these appliances and near windows or places that will expose it to direct sunlight.

Even though lots of appliances and electronic devices are made with technology that reduces heat, things like televisions, video game consoles and other appliances still give off heat as a by-product.
(Via: https://www.callhero.com/2020/05/15/5-things-you-should-never-place-near-your-thermostat/)

Get in touch with us for more professional HVAC maintenance advice.

from Air Check Mechanical Service | AC Repair | Air Conditioning Installation
via https://www.aircheckms.com/ac-repair/ac-maintenance-is-key-to-saving-money/