The secret to maximum air conditioner efficiency
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times – maximizing air conditioner efficiency is the best way to cut your utility bill expenses. While, arguably, replacement is the best way to improve efficiency, there’s one thing you should be doing in order to get the best efficiency (and time) out of your old air conditioner.
What is this you ask? Well…
…schedule preventative air conditioner maintenance in the spring to prolong lifespan and maximize efficiency!
Your contractor will clean your condenser, make sure everything is functioning correctly and catch any minor problems before they can result in more than a few hot days without air conditioning during the summer. Keep in mind, summer is peak cooling season. If your air conditioner breaks down during this time, it could take a contractor a while to get to your home.
So, yes, it is the middle of summer now and the time for preventative maintenance has passed. But, this is good to keep in mind for next spring. Mark your calendars now so you don’t forget later.
As a side note, you may also want to start thinking about furnace preventative maintenance over the next couple of months. It’s important to get your furnace looked over before winter – just like it is important to get your air conditioner checked out before summer.
So, did you schedule preventative maintenance last spring? Are you going to next year?
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Five things you should do before you go out of town.
Heading out of town can be fun and exciting! I mean, who doesn’t like to get away from the grind for a while? Just make sure that you think about your home while you’re gone. Whether you’re leaving for a few days or a few weeks, your home is gong to need some attention while you’re away. Here are five things you should make sure you do before you pack up the car or print our your boarding pass:
- Have a neighbor collect your mail and check on the house. Make it look like someone’s still around. You don’t want your home to be a target for thieves.
- Turn off your main water supply. If a leak happens while you’re out of town, it could result in gallon upon gallons of waster water and money.
- Make sure all the lights are off and things are unplugged from wall outlets. Or, better yet, get a surge protector and a timer for your lights.
- Close curtains and lock windows. We all remember to lock the doors (or at least TRY to,) but have you give a thought to your windows? This is particularly important if you have ground floor windows.
- Turn your thermostat up! Although it could be tempting to turn your air conditioner off while you’re out of town, this is actually not a good idea for your comfort (when you get back), certain materials that may be in your home (like wood flooring) and your utility bills.
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What do you do when the air conditioner is not working?
A hot summer day without air conditioning can quickly turn into a desperate race to stay cool. If you look around the internet and talk to friends, there are some pretty “inventive” ways to keep cool. I mean, have you heard of a “DIY air conditioner?” You know, that contraption with the cooler, the ice, the pipe and the fan?
Use this DIY air conditioner hack to keep cool during the summer if your AC is broken
Fans can be a quick and efficient way to feel cooler in a room that is lacking in air conditioning.
Treat yourself to something sweet! Ice cream, popsicles and frozen snacks are delicious AND cold.
If you’re hot, your pet is too! Keep your pets cool and in the shade during the hot summer months.
Embrace the heat! Swimming in your backyard or neighborhood pool is a good way to cool off when your house is too warm.
Playing outside in your sprinkler can be a fun way to stay cool and beat the heat this summer.
This article shows an easy way to make your own air conditioner in a snap! So, tell us, do you have any weird methods of keeping cool when you’re waiting for a contractor?
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The best thing you can do for your air conditioner.
Of course, we all want to maximize the life expectancy of our air conditioner. There is nothing worse than being stuck in the middle of summer without a working air conditioner. Luckily, there are things that you can do each year to help your air conditioner achieve max efficiency and, hopefully, max lifespan.
- Change those filters. A dirty filter blocks airflow and can result in your air conditioner working longer and harder than necessary. Change your filter regularly or at least at the beginning of every season.
- Hire someone to clean your ducts. Dirty ducts, like a dirty filter, can block airflow and make your air conditioner’s job harder. Plus, who knows what could be lurking in your air delivery system? Keep your ducts clean and your air fresh.
- Be reasonable with your thermostat. Hotter day than usual? Resist the temptation to plunge the thermostat down to 60F. This will make your air conditioner run longer – possibly wearing out your parts and DEFINITELY driving up utility bills.
- And, while you’re at it… LEAVE THE THERMOSTAT ALONE. Taking our air conditioner on a temperature roller coaster can drive up utilities and overwork your unit.
- Secure and protect your outside unit. In some areas, copper thieves can try and harvest your system for a quick payout. Make sure your air conditioner is secured down (without interfering with airflow or operation).
- Leaves, plants, branches,etc. Make sure these hazards are at least two feet away from your condenser. A dirty air conditioner with blocked airflow will have to overwork and could raise utility expenses. When you are faced with 90F temperatures, you want to do everything in your power to make your air conditioner’s job easier.
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Drop that wrench! Here’s why we discourage DIY air conditioner maintenance.
There’s no two ways about it – heating and cooling your home can get expensive. While there are ways that you can cut down these expenses, DIY air conditioner maintenance, repairs or installs ARE NOT sound ways to cut back on costs. There’s a reason it takes training, licensing and a specific skill set to work on heating and air conditioning equipment. Here are some reasons why DIY air conditioner maintenance is not encouraged.
- Lose efficiency. At the end of the day, it’s all about potentially doing more harm than good. You could damage a part of your system and lose efficiency.
- Worsen the problem. How do you know that the part you are working on is actually causing the problem? Air conditioners are intricate systems – if you damage one part you could damage the entire system and end up having to buy a new one instead of just repairing the old one.
- Voided warranty. Even not properly maintaining your air conditioner, by calling a contractor, can void your warranty. If you fiddle with the interior components of your system, it can’t be
determined whether the tinkering caused the issue or if it was a problem with the system. - Lower lifespan. Maybe you do fix the problem for now. But, how do you know you didn’t damage something that is going to end up causing more problems sooner rather than later?
- It can be dangerous. You don’t want to touch the wrong wires together or put things together incorrectly. Like most things, messing with something you aren’t 100% familiar with can have devastating consequences. DO NOT RISK IT!
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Top 7 Tips to Keep You Safe in the Summer
Summer is some people’s favorite time of year. Barbequing…Swims…Time off school…All things that you associated with summer. But, with more time off and more outdoor activities – it is important that you take some steps to stay safe. Here are some things we recommend you do while enjoying the summer.
- Going to the pool? Put on some sunblock. We all know how damaging the sun can be for the skin – both short term (sunburns) and long term (skin cancer). If you are spending a lot of time outdoors, apply the sunscreen.
- Stay hydrated! Dehydration can be a big problem in the summer. If you are at the pool, playing sports, working outside, etc. – make sure you stay hydrated.
- Bring the pets indoors. Our furry friends need an escape from the heat as well. If they are an outdoor pet, make sure that they have a cool refuge from the sun’s rays and plenty of access to water. Or, simply bring them indoors.
- Use those showers. Before swimming, make sure that you shower. This helps stop the spread of nasty, waterborne illnesses.
- Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector. Although you may think of this as a primarily winter problem, if you have gas it is best practice to make sure that you keep the batteries in your CO detector fresh. This is something that you don’t want to find out is a problem too late.
- Stay cool in the shade. Wear hats, set up patios in shady sports, heck, even your condenser can benefit from the shade.
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There’s more than one way to cool your home.
Cooling is not exclusively the job of a split-system air conditioner (that box that sits outside the home). There are many different options that can provide exceptional cooling power during the summer and more. Which one will you choose?
- Split-system air conditioner. What you may think of first when it comes to cooling. This unit sits outside your home and works with an air handler or indoor evaporator coil (with a gas furnace) to cool your home with electricity.
- Packaged air conditioner. With a packaged unit, all of your components sit outside your home in one unit mounted on either a slab or roof. Sometimes, these units use backup electric heat sources for when temperatures drop.
- Split-system heat pumps. Heat pumps use the same process as air conditioners BUT they are also able to reverse the process and provide warm air for your home using electricity. This model works with an air handler or indoor coil paired with a gas furnace t
o supply cooling AND heating. - Packaged heat pump. Just like the split-system heat pump, but all of the components sit outside the home – no indoor unit required.
- Gas packs. This packaged system provides the best features of an air conditioner and gas furnace. These all-in-one units can provide year round gas heating and electric cooling power.
- Dual-fuel systems. These systems combine the best parts of a heat pump and gas furnace. Not only can it cool with electricity and heat with gas BUT it can also heat with electricity when that is the most cost-effective heating method.
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Ready, set, go! Start your search for a new air conditioner here.
If you started looking around for a new air conditioner you’re already aware that it is a huge financial commitment. You’re probably also aware that there is a lot of information out there about which system is best. Here are some things you should know before you settle on the brand new air conditioner for your home.
- Start with your contractor. Finding the right contractor is the most important part of the search. Read online reviews, get recommendations from friends and family, and find a contractor who is going to do the job right the first time. Be warned…you may have to shell out a little more dough, but you won’t regret it.
- Heat pump or air conditioner? Well, it depends on where you live. For some people, a heat pump may be all they need; for others, they could get by with only an air conditioner. And, for OTHERS a combination of one of these systems could get the job done year round. This is one of the areas where your contractor will be able to help you.
- Efficiency matters. Always. Always. Always! Invest in the most efficient air conditioner you can afford. If you are upgrading from an old system you can see significant savings with a high-efficiency air conditioner.
- Size matters. Make sure your contractor does a Manual J load calculation to make sure you are getting the right size unit. Air conditioners that are too small or too large will never cool your home properly.
- Maintain that new system! For warranty protection (and continued high performance levels) maintaining your air conditioner is critical. Schedule maintenance each spring to make sure your air conditioner stays in top-top shape.
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Does your air conditioner turn on and off frequently? It could be costing your more money.
Did you know that your air conditioner is the biggest energy consumer in your home during the summer? That’s why we have so many tips for saving money – save some energy, lower utility bils and pad your summer budget.
One way high-efficiency systems help save money is through temperature moderation. What does that mean? Essentially, fewer on and off cycles. Your system maintains temperature with constant, small adjustments. Other systems rev up every time the thermostat registers a temperature hike.
Why does this work? It would seem that running the unit longer (as opposed to shutting if off more often) would rive UP utility bills. But, that’s not the case.
It takes less energy to modulate tan it does to turn the system on. Your biggest energy expenditure occurs when the unit turns on.
But, energy savings is not the only benefit of modulating technology.
- More even temperatures. Temperatures hover around your set temperature closely when the unit is running longer at a lower capacity. Homes with systems that turn on and off frequently go through temperature spikes and stay on your temperature setting for less time.
- Better dehumidification capabilities. When your unit runs longer at lower capacities, it is able to remove more humidity from the air. Remember, a humid home is a hot home. This can make your home feel cooler on hot summer days.
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So…what do you like to grill?
We already discussed earlier in the week how there are many ways you can save money on your cooling bill. One of those ways is using a grill instead of your oven. Frequently using your oven can up the temperature of your kitchen. If your thermostat is anywhere near the kitchen, this can make your air conditioner work harder to get your home to temperature.
There are so many ways you can use the grill to make a perfectly delicious meal – whether it’s a good old fashioned barbeque or taking things to a more exotic place by grilling pineapple or cooking a pizza.
You can check out this recipe for marinated grilled shrimp for some inspiration.
So, let us know in the comments, what’s your favorite grill recipe?