Energy is expensive, and the biggest consumer of energy in American homes is heating and cooling. Now, this isn’t an optional luxury. We need our homes to stay at a safe temperature, and we need to be comfortable enough to be productive and enjoy ourselves. So we can’t just say, forget it, I’m not going to heat or cool my home anymore. But we can do things to limit the cost!
How can you spend less money on cooling your home this summer? By running the air conditioner less. How will you manage to stay comfortable? With the help of professional HVAC technicians! Your HVAC contractor can provide services to help your air conditioner run more efficiently, in less time, and save you money. Here are the details.
Maximizing AC Efficiency
Having routine maintenance done, usually at the start of the summer, is the first step. By removing dust and grit and adding lubrication, your technician will reduce friction, helping the AC to run more easily and smoothly, and thus use less energy.
Your technician will also inspect all the components and make any necessary adjustments. This will prevent issues that cause inefficiency, such as loose parts, an overheating motor, or a damaged fan blade. And they’ll test all the electrical components to ensure that they’re drawing the right amount of power, and that your thermostat is properly calibrated.
Keeping Your Cool Air Where You Need It
Now that your air conditioner is doing a great job creating plenty of cool air for your home, you need to make sure it all stays where you can benefit from it: in your living space. But is all the cool air making it out of your vents and into the rooms of your home? Or is some of it being lost before it gets there?
Leaks in ductwork cause large amounts of the heated and cooled air we need—and pay dearly for—to be lost. This air is escaping into unoccupied spaces around your ducts, such as between your walls or above your ceiling. Estimates suggest that the average American home loses 30% of its heated and cooled air this way! Imagine how much you could be paying for the comfort you’re not receiving!
Having an HVAC technician inspect your ducts every few years is the only way to avoid this. Small areas of damage can be repaired individually, and this quick process can keep all that air in, keeping you comfortable and saving you money not just this summer, but in winter, too. More extensive damage, or deterioration if your ducts are decades old, might require some or all of a home’s ductwork to be replaced.
Controlling Humidity
Your body’s cooling mechanism is perspiration. A little bit of heat is carried away into the air with every drop of moisture that evaporates off your skin. But if your home is too humid, your perspiration won’t evaporate, and you’ll feel hotter. With a dehumidifier, you can keep your thermostat set a few degrees higher and use less AC while feeling just as cool.
For AC maintenance, duct inspection and repair, dehumidifier services, and more, reach out to qualified, reputable HVAC contractors in Levelland, TX.
JD’s Prompt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning serves the Lubbock area. Contact us for all your HVAC needs.