The EPA estimates that as much as half the energy used in our homes goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills, not to mention our environment.
Before we familiarize ourselves with the different types of cooling systems, let's first consider some basic guidelines to energy efficiency when maintaining or replacing your existing system.
Maintain:
Once every year, you should give your air conditioner a maintenance check-up. A professional contractor will clean the coils, make sure you have enough refrigerant, and generally see to it that the system operates at optimum levels. Annual maintenance of your cooling system can reduce your energy bills up to 40%, prevent expensive emergencies, and extend the life of your air conditioning system.
Make sure you are using the proper kind of filters for your home's environment, and that you replace the filter as required. The length of time that a filter can last depends on such factors as how many hours a day you run your system's fan, the number and kinds of pets you have, and what kind of (or how much) carpet your home has. For most households, a common 1" filter should be changed every 2-3 months. Larger, pleated cartridge-type filters (3"-5") can last up to 12 months between changes.
Make sure your ducts are sealed and well connected to prevent leakage, and free of dust and debris.
Consider installing a programmable thermostat, which will help save money by controlling your home's temperature at different times during the day (thus not wasting energy when you're not home) and eliminating the need to constantly adjust the thermostat.
Before we familiarize ourselves with the different types of cooling systems, let's first consider some basic guidelines to energy efficiency when maintaining or replacing your existing system.
Maintain:
Once every year, you should give your air conditioner a maintenance check-up. A professional contractor will clean the coils, make sure you have enough refrigerant, and generally see to it that the system operates at optimum levels. Annual maintenance of your cooling system can reduce your energy bills up to 40%, prevent expensive emergencies, and extend the life of your air conditioning system.
Make sure you are using the proper kind of filters for your home's environment, and that you replace the filter as required. The length of time that a filter can last depends on such factors as how many hours a day you run your system's fan, the number and kinds of pets you have, and what kind of (or how much) carpet your home has. For most households, a common 1" filter should be changed every 2-3 months. Larger, pleated cartridge-type filters (3"-5") can last up to 12 months between changes.
Make sure your ducts are sealed and well connected to prevent leakage, and free of dust and debris.
Consider installing a programmable thermostat, which will help save money by controlling your home's temperature at different times during the day (thus not wasting energy when you're not home) and eliminating the need to constantly adjust the thermostat.
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