Keep Your AC Running at Peak Performance
Everything is bigger in Texas—including our extreme summer temperatures. However, bigger isn’t always better: bills, for instance. To help keep your temperatures and your temper cool, we’ve compiled this list of tips and tricks to get the most out of your air conditioner and reduce your energy costs.
Tips for AC Maintenance and/or Replacement
This must sound pretty fresh coming from an AC repair service, but hear us out. Having your AC serviced on a regular basis ensures that everything is working at peak efficiency. However, you can also perform simple tasks to help your AC unit. First, check the filter. Dirty filters limit air flow in your home and can stress out your AC. Second, clear any debris on or around your unit. Plants should be several feet away. If you have a cover or awning to shade your AC, it can improve efficiency by 10%.
Modern air conditioner units offer several ways to increase efficiency. Better refrigerants, multistate compressors, programmable thermostats, and more can save you money in the long run. It could also be time to replace your AC unit. Most AC units last up to ten years, and not all age well. Your AC may be struggling to keep up and skyrocketing your energy bills.
Turn on your fans
The simple act of turning on your ceiling fan creates a wind chill and helps circulate cool air through your home. The effect can shift your home’s interior temperatures by four degrees, allowing you to set your thermostat slightly higher.
Regardless of if your showers are cold or hot, you should run your ventilation fan. The fan pulls moisture as well as heat out of your bathroom and (should) vent it outdoors.
Use shades
Use shades and blinds during the heat of the day to block heat. Thermal curtains can help keep cool air in during the summer and hot air in during the winter. You should also have your windows inspected to ensure they are adequately sealed; otherwise, your AC is slipping right through those cracks.
When the nights are cool, you can also consider opening your windows to let natural air cool your home until the sun returns.
Turn off lights
A large percentage of the energy used by an incandescent bulb is let off as heat instead of light. Turning off any lights not currently in use reduces both electricity and heat in your home. For best results, upgrade your bulbs to low-heat, high-efficiency LED bulbs. The bulbs are more expensive, but they last longer and reduce your utility usage.
Limit appliances
When possible, avoid using your oven. Instead, cook with your stove, microwave, or other appliances to reduce the output of heat into your kitchen. You also want to be sure that your dryer, oven, and bathrooms vent outside and not into your attic.
Turn off any laptops, gaming consoles, or other large electronics when they are not in use. These all run warm, having to vent out heat. You will save on electricity and cool your home, reducing costs even further!
Schedule Energy Audits and Home Inspections
Energy Audits are when a professional analyzes your home room by room to find what uses the most energy and how you might improve your efficiency. Home inspectors can check the sealing on your windows, your insulation, your ductwork, and more to ensure that your home is well insulated from the outside air.
Enjoy Summer – let our team help keep you cool!
Summer is meant to be a time of relaxation and family togetherness. Not stressing out over energy bills, overheating trying to keep accounts affordable, and facing massive air conditioner failure. The above tips can help you keep calm and carry on— let our team help with your air conditioner.
Our licensed technicians are highly trained and well experienced in the field. We know air conditioners inside and out. We’ll come out and perform a full system service; we can also identify any potential issues and walk you through the recommended steps to avoid a catastrophe. We’ll walk you through what your AC needs— from repair to replacement to a little bit of extra TLC— to keep your home cool and your family happy. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call and set up an appointment today!