When the summertime weather arrives again, it’s likely that you’re fretting about your rising energy bills. It may seem like a lose-lose battle between trying to keep your home comfortable for your entire family and keeping your energy bill within a feasible range. Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take as a homeowner to make your air conditioning system more energy efficient.
Clean Your HVAC Air Filter
One of the biggest efficiency killers for your home’s air conditioning system is a dirty air filter. Your air conditioning system has to work much harder to force air through a dirty filter than it does one that’s not dirty. It’s a good idea to have a spare filter on hand and make sure that you’re checking your air filter every few weeks to see if it needs to be replaced.
Clean Vents and Ducting
A necessary part of your air conditioning system is your ductwork. When air naturally flows through your ductwork, it will pick up airborne particles and disperse them inside of your ducting. Over time, this excess debris can lead to a restriction in the airflow of your ducting. This will leave your air conditioning system working harder to deliver cool air to your home than it actually needs to.
You can help to prevent this problem by cleaning out your vents and ducting. You can simply use a vacuum to remove dust and debris from the vents and registers throughout your home. You’ll want to call in a professional to clean out your ducting as they have the necessary equipment to get the job done.
Upgrade to a New AC System
If your current air conditioning system is over 10 years old, it’s likely that it’s not anywhere near as efficient as new air conditioning systems are. One of the ways you can greatly enhance the efficiency of your system is to upgrade it. You should be consulting an air conditioning professional to ensure that you’re purchasing a system that is not only energy efficient but the ideal size for your home.
Supplement With Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are an absolute must for homeowners who are looking to save money on their summertime energy bills. By having ceiling fans in the most highly used rooms of your home, like your bedrooms and your bathrooms, you can help to keep your family more comfortable at a higher temperature.
You’ll want to set each ceiling fan to spin in a counterclockwise direction so that it’s blowing air down onto you. Just having a breeze on your body will help to wick away sweat and make it feel up to 10 degrees colder than it actually is inside of your home. This can allow you to keep your thermostat at a higher temperature that doesn’t require the air conditioning system to run as often.
Invest in Professional Duct Sealing
Over time, your ducting will naturally expand and contract with the hot and the cold air. This can lead to unwanted leaks inside of your ducting. The more leaks your ducting has, the higher the opportunity for the cold air to escape before it reaches the rooms inside of your home. It’s a good idea to invest in professional duct sealing every 5 to 10 years to ensure that all the cold air that your air conditioning system is making actually makes its way to the rooms inside of your home.
Keep the Direct Sunlight Out
The sun can play a large role in how often your air conditioning system has to work to lower the temperature inside of your home. If you allow direct sunlight in your windows and doors, it will heat up the air inside of your home and trigger your air conditioning system to kick on. To help eliminate this issue, it’s best to use blinds and curtains to block out direct sunlight throughout the daylight hours. The more sunlight you can keep out, the less often your air conditioning system is going to run to cool your home.
Be Mindful of Your Thermostat Placement
One significant factor that many homeowners forget about which can influence the efficiency of the air conditioning system is the placement of their thermostat. If you place your thermostat next to a window that gets direct sunlight, it’s more likely to kick on throughout the day.
Additionally, if you place your thermostat near your appliances that produce heat or a door into your home, it will cause your air conditioning system to constantly kick on as it’s reading a higher temperature than it actually is inside of your home. If your thermostat is not in an appropriate place, it’s best to move it to increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system.
Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat
Another way to greatly increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system is to use a smart thermostat. These thermostats allow you to control your settings from anywhere that your smartphone can connect to the internet. You can program in different temperatures for different times of the day so that you can have a more efficient operation of your home’s air conditioning system.
For example, you can program the temperature to be higher during the daytime hours when no one is at home. This will prevent your air conditioning system from running during the daytime and wasting energy when no one is there to enjoy the cool air that it produces. Additionally, smart thermostats will actively monitor your energy usage and provide you with recommendations for more energy-efficient settings.
Seal Unwanted Leaks
Over time, all the components of your home can loosen and create unwanted leaks. You’ll find these leaks most commonly by doors and windows. This can allow the warm air to seep in from the outdoors and cause your air conditioning system to kick on to combat the new heat.
It’s a good idea to check around all the windows and doors in your home to see if there is any heat coming in from outside. If so, you’ll want to seal up that leak with something like weatherstripping.
Insulation
Another important aspect of your home that plays a big role in how efficient your air conditioning system can be is the amount of insulation that you have. Every region of the country has a recommended R-value of insulation. You want to ensure that your home’s insulation meets or exceeds the recommended standards in your area.
The more insulation you have in your home, the thicker the barriers are going to be between the inside of your home and the outdoors. The thicker that barrier, the less likely the outdoor air is going to heat up the air inside of your home.
Quality AC Services
Thermo Direct offers quality air conditioning services for the entire Raleigh, NC community. We can also assist with all of your heating, electrical, air quality, duct sealing, duct installation, weatherization, and crawlspace sealing needs. Contact us today to get the professional help that you need with your home.
