Summers is a very difficult time for people, there is going to be a significant rise in temperatures and all of us including being in office are going to find different ways to cool ourselves during this heat. Air conditioners are now common in every household and office, it is important to have HVAC units in your house as they will heat/cool the environment during all the year. Before the seasons actually start, you would be needing the best performance from your units and we believe that the cheapest way to get that is to make sure that your respective HVAC unit is fully efficient in performance.
According to reports made, the energy consumption of HVAC equipment in America and the rest of the countries is between the ranges of 8%-10%. That range costs normal homeowners around $15-20 billion which is a lot. All this usage of air conditioners or heaters leads to the immense production of carbon dioxide, the latest convergence was around 197 million metric tons/annually. If you want the best out of your air conditioners and other HVAC equipment then you need to give them the best kind of maintenance, all of their components like fans, filters and motors need to be in the best shape. Only then will your air conditioners perform at the best level and effectiveness, your energy bill would also reduce comparatively.
The way a HVAC unit performs is directly related to the amount your utility bill would be making, if it is efficient in power it will consume less energy and thus you would be getting the low bills. That also goes vice versa, if the unit is ineffective then more power would be needed and the utility bill will be more expensive.
Another helpful tip here is that whenever a season ends, make sure to make the best out of it, HVAC technicians won’t be busy with services and you can get your units maintained very cheaply. If you want to get ready for summers then spring is the best time and if the time is for winter prep then autumn.
We have put together a helpful guide through which you can increase the performance of your HVAC units indefinitely, without ever calling the technicians.
Always Take Care Of The Filters And Vents
One of the most important components of air conditioners are the filters and vents, they are the critical parts that make sure that the air quality of the unit is normal without any kind of pollution. They also make sure that your unit is protected against the foreign particles which can ultimately damage them internally.
Having dusty or polluted air filters and vents are one of the main reasons why air conditioners break down so quickly. If you do have a dirty air filter then there would be an increased energy consumption of about 7%-9% which spikes the utility bills. No matter what kind of air conditioner you may have, if the filters and vents are dirty enough then more power would be needed and they still won’t be that much effective as the blower fan would have to work more than it should.
First thing to do here is to get your air filters and vents cleaned out, or if you want to take no chances with those components then we suggest that you get them replaced every 3 or 4 months. No more than that because an air filter could only go as long as 3 months with being damaged or polluted.
There have been some information related to vents that if you close your vents then there is lower energy consumption than usual, this is actually wrong as it increases the consumption actually. Let us create the scenario here, you have closed your air conditioners in order to lower the utility bills, but actually you are making your unit work more, as they would have to produce more air to keep the indoor temperature maintained.
Another thing about the vents here, they protect the air conditioner from dust and other dirty particles. So make sure that they are always well maintained.
Perfectly Put Ductwork Is Necessary
Ductwork is one of the most important factor into making your unit work properly. Imagine paying for a really good and top of the line air conditioner only to find it not working properly and to the standards. Although that being said, it is not always the problem of air conditioners, sometimes the house they are being installed in are the troublemakers.
A HVAC unit make not work properly if the house has unstable ductwork and improper insulation. These are the things very much necessary for your air conditioner to work properly. You need to make sure that your house’s ductwork is properly sealed up, and it is not draining. Do you know that a drained up ductwork structure takes out about 30%-40% effectiveness from your air conditioner. That means your unit would have to perform more to get the cooling you want.
In old houses, air leaks are very much common that is because the infrastructure hasn’t been improved from all those years. When there are miniature holes in the walls, you may experience that your cold air is actually moving out of the house instead of just staying in. Also to add here, they ruin the efficiency of your air conditioner, ultimately spiking up your utility bill. Another thing here, in summers whenever there would be a hot temperature outside, that air would just flow in your house through those leaks and then you would have to increase the temperature. So in order to be on the safe side, make sure that your ductwork is proper.
Thermostat’s Programming Is Necessary
Your thermostat is more important than you actually think, they control the temperature of your air conditioner and without them you won’t be able to cool or heat your house effectively. Now many of the people actually don’t know how to use their thermostats properly or the wide range of functions they have. You need to be fully in content with the functions of your thermostat because they make up the majority of your utility bills.
First thing which comes over here is the proper usage of the thermostat, don’t place your appliances in close proximity. These appliances are lamps or any kind of devices which use up energy, doing so will make your thermostat shift up the temperature and in return your air conditioner would need to run more than actually needed. When you go out of the house make sure that the thermostat and your air conditioner are actually turned off, as the house would be completely vacant. Some people actually forget to turn off the air conditioner, bit leaving it on is still draining up the energy. At night, the temperature outside is fairly cooler so make sure that your thermostat has been set to fairly higher degrees.
Having a smart thermostat is actually a good upgrade over the regular one, the programming on that device makes you save a lot of money and unnecessary work. Digital thermostats have good level of programming, so you can set them to calibration mode. Program their settings at least half an hour before anyone comes back to home, you would be saving yourself and others a whole lot of trouble. That being said, you need to familiarize yourself with all the contents and functions of your thermostat, as having full knowledge about them will lead you to being more effective with your air conditioners.
Annual Or Monthly Checkups Are Necessary
This goes without saying but your air conditioners need maintenance and upkeep every now and then. According to reports by the energy department, those units which aren’t getting the maintenance they need end up losing 20%-50% of their efficiency. So once they cross that mark, they are good as dead.
When it comes to the outdoor units which are the compressors, they can last up to 13 years and those are the units which don’t get any kind of maintenance. If we properly get them check up every now and then, their life span increases up to 20 years. That is what a good maintenance can do for your air conditioner. You can always call in the professional technicians to take a look at your air conditioners vents, filters and refrigerants. It is very vital that you keep your refrigerant levels in check, because they are the one keeping your air conditioner fully operational. If you keep them well maintained, then this would increase the efficiency of your air conditioner till 20%-30%.
These professional technicians will make sure that your air conditioners are well maintained, although they would cost you some hundred dollars, but they are fully worth the price. These prices are lesser than the annual prices you could pay if your unit is not functioning properly.
Ceiling Fans Make Things Easier
Complimentary goods are those which augment and improve the functions of each other, when we talk about air conditioners in specific, ceiling fans just improve the performance drastically. Sure you can turn on the air conditioner on any room and enjoy the cold air, but if you combine them with ceiling fans then the performance is going to go up a mile.
According to reports, if you combine ceiling fans and air conditioners then they improve the cooling by 15% which is a lot. Fans don’t have that much energy consumption, if you compare them with air conditioners then they take up only about 10% of the power, which makes them very much effective and cheap. Fans won’t just augment the air flow of your house but will clean the house of any kind of dust particles.
Conclusion
Air conditioners are a necessity of every person, may it be in households or office spaces. Keeping them well maintained without spending too much money should be an objective for everyone. Our extensive guide shows how effectively you can improve the performance of your HVAC units.
