You want your home to be a cool oasis, but you don’t like the looks of your electricity bill. What do you do?
As HVAC experts, the team at Action Air Conditioning has a vast knowledge of cooling systems and wants to share 4 of the best ways you can save on cooling costs. Let’s dive into them now and help you to consume less energy!
1. Shut Out the Sun
Light from the sun can generate intense heat. When it enters your home through your window panes, your cooling cost almost doubles.
So block out those rays with:
- Shades
- Solar Screens
- Curtains
- Blinds
- Tints
You want the light to bounce off and not absorb into the material as it will with those dark-colored curtains. The most effective protection will reflect the heat. Examples of these include insulated cellular shades and solar screens that can reduce your cooling costs by up to 40%.
If insulated windows aren’t in your budget, be sure to choose light colors for your window coverings.
2. Seal All Gaps
Florida’s subtropical climate is hot and humid — exactly the opposite of what you want inside of your house!
But if there are cracks, gaps, and holes around your windows and doors, the outdoor air is constantly creeping in. That not only raises your energy costs, it also puts stress on your air conditioner!
Here are a few steps you can take to better insulate your home:
- Improve the insulation in your attic space
- Replace the weather stripping around doors.
- Seal around your windows with caulk
A well-insulated house will allow an efficient HVAC system to run in cycles with 15 to 30 minutes in between. If your AC has to continuously operate to keep your house cool, it’s using a ton of electricity and wearing itself down prematurely.
3. Set Your Thermostat Higher
Turning down the temperature setting on your thermostat will not make your air conditioning unit cool your home down faster. Most people have their thermostats set at a much lower temperature than they should which wastes energy.
The United States Department of Energy recommends that we keep our homes at a comfortable 78 degrees Fahrenheit when we are home. You can turn it up even more to 83 degrees when you leave for work, errands, or entertainment. This small change can decrease your cooling costs by 15%.
If you don’t want to babysit your thermostat, use a programmable thermostat. This way, you can plan a full temperature schedule that matches your daily habits.
Do you have a chaotic lifestyle that can’t be predicted?
Many smart thermostats will connect to your smartphone. Your smartphone will notify the thermostat of its location. Then the thermostat automatically changes the temperature setting based on whether you are home or not. Isn’t that neat?
4. Get a Tuneup
If you are still feeling hot, your air conditioning unit could be malfunctioning. It’s time to call the professionals and have your HVAC serviced. In fact, your system should receive regularly scheduled maintenance annually to help it to run smoothly year after year.
Small repairs made now will prevent large repairs or full unit replacements down the road. When your AC has a tuneup, its life expectancy increases and it runs more efficiently.
An efficient system easily maintains a balanced temperature and humidity throughout your house and uses less energy to operate.
But when you skip servicing your HVAC every year, you risk damage and shorten the system’s lifespan.
Heavy winds from severe storms can force dirt and debris around the condenser. If you notice that this area is filthy or blocked by foliage, an air conditioning specialist from Action Air Conditioning can clean it up for you.
If the area isn’t cleaned well, trouble brews. As the system pushes itself to perform the way it should, it forces dirty or worn-out parts to function at a higher level than they can. This stresses the entire system and causes parts that were working just fine to work harder.
But remember! Professionals don’t have to do everything.
You should also service your own HVAC every 60 to 90 days by changing your filter.
Why?
A dirty filter reduces the airflow and causes your system to struggle. If the air is blocked, it can’t travel into your home to cool you! Your thermostat will continue to tell your cooling system to keep going because the temperature in your house is too high. This causes your AC to run constantly and eventually, the system burns itself out.
Save on cooling costs: Tampa Bay’s Action Air Conditioning Services
The health of your HVAC system will determine how efficiently your air conditioning functions. Sometimes the only way you can save on cooling costs is by repairing or replacing some or all of your system.
Are you ready to stay cool and save money on your energy bill?
When it’s time to call in the professionals, get in touch with Action Air Conditioning and speak with experts. We will analyze your living space and recommend the best, factory direct parts and units to suit your needs.