Air Conditioning Service: Is It More Expensive To Heat Or Cool Your Home? | Azle, TX
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For some reason when people budget for their energy costs, they seem to think that AC is more expensive than heating. Perhaps because some people still think of AC as a luxury while heat is considered a necessity. That is one reason why some people will put off air conditioning service in Azle, TX. However, those who live in Azle, TX know that AC is actually just as much a necessity as heating, if not more so. In fact, most homes are hardly liveable during the summer months if they don’t have AC because of the harsh heat of the Texas sun.
Given the fact that it is warm throughout the later part of spring, summer, and most of the fall most homeowners rely heavily on their AC. While you shouldn’t disvalue any aspect of your HVAC system, it is an interesting subject matter to explore which actually costs you more. Of course, in Azle, you use your AC more cumulatively throughout the year so AC costs will be more, but we aren’t talking about year-round totals. Instead, we are discussing how much it actually costs broken down and needing air conditioning service to the minute that a system is one. So really, what does cost more? One minute of heat or one minute of AC?
Keep reading to find out the answer to this and several other common air conditioning questions that we get asked from consumers during our air conditioning service calls. Not only may you beef up your trivia skills a bit, but some of the answers to common questions may help you learn why air conditioning service is so important and encourage you to call for repairs when needed. After all, a well-maintained system will always perform better than one that is struggling to get by.
Your HVAC System Is a Major Energy Consumer
To kick off the discussion, you should know that your HVAC system as a whole is an expensive piece of equipment to run in your home. While you don’t have much choice in the matter, it is estimated that almost half of all residential power consumption stems from heating and cooling during the year. That means that you are likely spending almost half of your energy costs on your HVAC system as well. While this is a good argument for regular air conditioning service, since it can help you improve your current system’s efficiency, it also may leave you curious about how much you spend.
The Cold, Hot Truth
There are a lot of factors that can weigh into which is more expensive: your AC or furnace. How often you book air conditioning service versus furnace service and how old your system is can play a large role. However, in general, it actually costs more to run your furnace than it does your AC. which is very interesting since most people are naturally inclined to be stingy about their cooling use but not about their furnace use.
The truth is that heating actually wastes much more energy than cooling does. In fact, in some cases heating, your home can result in almost three times the energy loss when compared to cooling your home. Therefore, the next time you are arguing with your spouse about an acceptable temperature for summer, you may just want to bring up this article. It’s really easy to hit the thermostat up when you walk into a house with a winter chill, but most homeowners aren’t as likely to do the same if they come into the house burning hot on a summer day in Azle, TX.
On the same note, homeowners are more likely to schedule regular furnace repair over air conditioning service. This is because heating is often seen as required, but air conditioning is a choice. It turns out however that you can afford to run your AC a little lower if you learn to be a bit more conservative during the winter months. It just may be time to think about wearing a sweater instead of hitting the thermostat up a few notches. After all this time, your grandmother may have been right.
Why Can’t They Design Furnaces to be Equally Energy-Efficient?
It can be hard to understand why a furnace is not as energy-efficient as an air conditioner. After all, in most homes, the system is known as the HVAC system, which means both components are included. While you can call for separate furnace repair and air conditioning repair service, most homeowners just call their HVAC technician.
However, the acronym does not change the fact that your furnace and air conditioner are in fact two separate components that are wired to work together within your home. Both need access to your home ductwork, so it makes sense that they are integrated, but they don’t share all of the same characteristics.
During the cooling process, an air conditioner uses a refrigeration cycle that expands and contracts gas. Your AC then takes hot air in your home and dumps it back outdoors at the same time it is cooling the air. On the other hand, your furnace is not moving air around, it is simply attempting to heat the air that is already in the homes. This means it has to do almost twice the work compared to your AC system. This is one reason why you may notice that you need more furnace rapiers than you do air conditioning service. Your furnace simply has to work harder to get the same results.
The only time this answer may change is if you have a house with a heat pump. A heat pump is considered to be equivalent to AC because they do actually exchange the air in the house by routing cold air out and warming the air that is left inside. Most Azle, TX homes do not have heat pumps though, so for most homeowners, heating will be the more expensive of the two.
Additional Heating Options Just Add Costs
A lot of people convinced that heating costs more will skip the air conditioning service and other preventative measures and instead attempt to supplement their heating. A lot of people purchase and use space heaters throughout the winter under the misguided belief that they will be more efficient than running their HVAC system. Sometimes that is true, but a lot of times trying to heat multiple rooms with space heaters instead of turning on your heater ends up costing you more money.
If only one room is being heated by a space heater and you stay in that room then this will help you save money on heating costs. However, if you have multiple people in your home and they are all using space heaters then eventually you will end up paying the same amount as if you had just turned on the HVAC system. At this point, it just makes more sense to fire up the furnace because you will at least heat the home evenly and make it more enjoyable for everyone inside. At this point make sure you have booked your annual furnace and air conditioning service to ensure that the HVAC system is running at its peak efficiency to cut costs.
Your AC Can Still Run Up Costs
Just because your furnace is more likely to leak energy does not mean that AC is free. In fact, the opposite can be true. If you do not keep up with regular air conditioning service in Azle, TX you actually could end paying a lot more for your summer AC. Just because you have a headache during the winter months does not mean that you want to carry it into the hot Texas summers as well.
This is a good time to think about when the last time you called an HVAC company for air conditioning service. If you can’t remember, now is a great time to call and schedule a visit. Winter is actually a great time for air conditioning service because the AC is not in use and any issues can be effectively troubleshooted without leaving you without AC. While you are at it, take a moment to think about regular HVAC maintenance as well. Have you changed your air filter lately?
As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to change your air filter at least once every three to five months depending on the amount of traffic in your home. If you don’t work at actually maintaining the efficiency of your HVAC system it will catch up with you over time.
Take a Few Steps to Weatherproof Your Home for Winter
If you truly want to save money during the winter months, you should take a few extra steps outside of just furnace and air conditioning service. You might want to think about winterizing your home to stop energy loss in its tracks. Chances are you know which windows draft and where you have leaks around your doors. There are dozens of products on the market so whether you completely seal a window or just add weather strips to the frame is your choice, but there are ways to stop cold air in its tracks.
Weatherstripping is a great idea to stop cool air from seeping in from your doors. You also might want to listen to your parent’s advice and try turning down your thermostat a few degrees and putting a sweater on. While most people hated being told this as kids, a couple of degrees can actually save you a reasonable amount of money making it worth consideration. Most people find that a few degrees lower is hardly noticeable making this a great way to save some money without making any major adjustments. If you have a smart thermostat, you might consider dropping the temperature during the night while you sleep and then turn it up an hour or so before your family wakes up.
Chat With An HVAC Technician
Still looking at ways to cut your costs? Next time you schedule an air conditioning service in Azle, TX take the time to chat with the HVAC technician who comes out to your home. Technology is evolving every day and now there are more efficiency measures than ever to make your home a smart consumer of energy.
The new weather patterns across the world point to extreme temperatures, so it is better to prepare now for these to ensure that your home is as efficient as possible. Your HVAC technician can talk to you about whether or not your HVAC system is up-to-date and what changes you might consider making to help keep your energy costs at bay. A simple inspection may reveal some weaknesses in your home and can help open your eyes to what you can be doing better. At the very least scheduling, a furnace and air conditioning service will help make your current system as efficient as possible.
At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating is always happy to come out for an annual furnace and air conditioning service or to inspect your system and offer advice about ways to make it more efficient. We perform a wide variety of services from repair, annual maintenance, air duct cleaning, and more. If you have any concerns about your HVAC system as you prepare for the summer months or need help during the winter season we should be your first call in Azle, TX.
Now is the best time to start thinking about air conditioning service while you have time to plan and budget for any necessary repairs. Give us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth a call today and find out how you can make both heating and cooling your house affordable for your budget.