Here’s How You Can Save the Planet with Your Air Conditioner | Heating and AC Repair in Fort Worth, TX
Air conditioners are here to stay and they are eating up your electricity, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and increasing your energy bills. But did you know that your air conditioner can actually be used as a tool for good? We will discuss several reasons why you should take some extra measures to save the planet.
Getting regular maintenance
It can’t be emphasized enough, yet most homeowner don’t understand the importance of regular maintenance. Routine maintenance will minimize the issues caused by an air conditioner unit underperforming. For this, you will need the services of a highly-trained professional who specializes in heating and AC repair in Fort Worth, TX. This doesn’t mean that you are completely defenseless against the onslaught of massive electricity bills and inefficient air conditioners. There are several precautions you can take to maximize use of your air conditioner.
Using a programmable thermostat for maximized savings
If used properly, programmable thermostats have the potential to save the homeowner thousands in the long run for heating and ac repair in Fort Worth, TX. They are highly capable of regulating temperatures automatically while homeowners sit back and leave the AC to operate without manual input. That said, a thermostat is only as good as the owner’s knowledge of operating it. According to researchers at Energy Star, a large percentage of home owners heat and cool those spaces of their house that are unoccupied, causing waste of energy. Most people don’t realize that there is no need to cool or heat your home when you are sleeping. Every degree that you will raise will use at least 1% less energy. So if you decrease the temperature by 10 degrees less than what you usually do before sleeping, your unit will consume 10% less energy.
Studies show that homeowners who have installed programmable thermostats are only able to save an underwhelming 6 to 7 percent of their bills, while others showed that programmable thermostats actually resulted in a direct increase of their energy bills by about 12%. The reason comes down to lack of understanding what a programmable thermostat is capable of. Many people just don’t appreciate how useful these devices can be to combat electricity bills and save energy. Most occupants are either away or sleeping – instances in which the unit should either be turned off or its temperature lowered.
Checking your room for air leaks
So you bought a state-of-the-art air conditioning unit and it somehow fails to cool your room, your natural kneejerk reaction would be to dismiss your heating and AC unit as a sham, not realizing that there are other factors at play here. Homeowners need to realize that their air conditioners are mammoth tanks designed to regulate temperatures by several degrees than what the outside world wants to impose on your room. This is not possible if there are leaks in your room. Unless the room is air tight, all that ‘conditioning’ will be thrown out the window. Every tiny leak can decrease your air conditioner’s efficiency by a significant amount and drive up energy bills. Your best bet would be to clog any open space with a newspaper until professional help arrives. It is also equally important to seal your air ducts which, researchers claim, can make you lose up to 20% of your room’s air conditioned air to the atmosphere. The trick is to properly insulate your home from air leaks.
What to do at night?
Sometimes it is simply better to turn the air conditioner unit off and let the cool air from the outside world seep into your room. So close the drapes and curtains when the sun is out and embrace the cool breeze that desperately wants to come in.
Install double pane windows
Believe it or not, but those double pane windows are the difference between a room with well-regulated temperature and one that is subject to the whims of outside climate. Double pane windows are different from single pane windows, because as their name suggests, there are two panels of glass stacked on top of each other and separated by only a few millimeters. The spaces between them are filled by air, argon or a similar gas.
The resulting insulation is so efficient, that it relieves a considerable amount of strain from your air conditioner as it tries to regulate the temperature to the desired setting. If you want to take things up a notch, you can always opt for three pane windows which are more energy-efficient but can be a bit expensive. They are very popular in Canada because of their ability to restrict the transmission of energy in and out of the house.
Check those air filters
Air filters are a relatively simple affair. All one has to do is check them for any signs of dust build up. If enough dust has accumulated between the crevices, it is time to either clean them properly or replace them entirely. Getting heating and ac service in Fort Worth, TX will ensure that your air filters are properly cleaned. But why is the air conditioner filter so important? For starters, it removes solid contaminants and pollutants to provide a better quality of air for the occupants.
Air filters stand as a buffer between the contaminants and your unit. If the air filter gets too dirty, its ability to regulate the quality of cool air drops sharply and occupants will reportedly feel dust particles on their body and face. It is irritating and sometimes, a health hazard if not promptly taken care of.
So why do you need professionals to take care of your air conditioner?
A professional will ensure that your air conditioner performs at peak condition while minimizing energy use. This is what our expert technicians at One Hour Heating and Air specialize in, after having undergone years of training and experience for heating and ac repair in Fort Worth, TX.We perform state of the art repair and maintenance work. If your air conditioner is struggling, give us a call today to find out how we can help you.