10 Summer Efficiency Tips for Your Delaware Valley Home
Posted: July 15, 2019
Summer is certainly in full swing now, and we’re sure to see—and feel—plenty of hot and sticky days ahead of us. While you’re keeping cool with your central air conditioner or ductless mini-split system, keep these 10 cost-effective tips in mind.
- Avoid using heat-generating appliances when possible. Refrain from using ovens, clothes dryers and other heat-generating appliances on the hottest days. Your A/C system will just have to work harder to remove all that extra heat.
- Control your cooling. If you have central air conditioning, consider installing zoning controls so you’re not wasting money cooling down the entire house. This allows you to adjust thermostats higher in rooms you use less frequently. Ductless systems can also be installed as supplemental cooling sources in particularly hot spaces. This allows you to turn down your central A/C in the rest of the house, saving energy and money.
- Take advantage of your programmable thermostat. Run your house slightly warmer when no one is home and you can expect to save about 3-5% on air conditioning bills for each degree you raise the thermostat, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Read more about today’s smart thermostats.
- Keep indoor temperatures moderate. Feeling cool and comfortable is always relative. When the temperature outside is blazing, a more moderate temperature inside will still bring cool relief. Target a thermostat setting of about 78 degrees when you’re home – a temperature the Department of Energy says represents the best balance of comfort and energy savings. Raise that setting by three to four degrees when the house is empty.
- Use your ceiling fans. These fans are a great complement to your central A/C–with them circulating cool air, you can raise your thermostat by about four degrees with no loss of comfort.
- Be vigilant with your air filters. A dirty air filter cuts airflow, causing your air conditioner to overwork (and you to overpay for energy). Check your HVAC filter about once a month during the cooling season, replacing or cleaning it when needed.
- Consider installing reflective window treatments. Window treatments that reflect solar heat can reduce your home’s cooling load. Check out this Department of Energy link to learn more about energy saving window treatments.
- Maintain your A/C equipment. Routine A/C maintenance won’t just keep your equipment running better, it will also help prevent many repairs and lengthen the life of your equipment.
- Insulate. Poorly insulated homes allow heat to enter, which needlessly taxes your A/C system and raises your cooling expenses.
- Think about an A/C upgrade. Home air conditioning systems lose efficiency over time, even when well maintained. Replacing an air conditioning system that’s a decade old or more with a high efficiency upgrade can save, on average, 30% on annual cooling expenses – which means it can pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.
Our HVAC experts can help you choose a cooling system that’s a perfect match for your home and lifestyle, with options available in all sizes and configurations.
Contact us today for expert air conditioning service in our service area, or for a FREE, no obligation estimate on a new high efficiency cooling system for your Delaware Valley home!
