Simple Steps to Increase Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

Our air conditioning systems often get overused during the summer months and at times when the heat outside can be unbearable. This can often result in increased energy bills and unnecessary wear and tear on your air conditioning unit. You want to insure that your air conditioning unit is functioning properly, maintaining a reasonable lifespan, and increasing the unit’s energy efficiency. The following tips will help you to run your air conditioning unit in a more efficient manner.

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Energy efficiency is increasingly becoming an issue on the forefront of everyone’s minds for the sake of the environment as well. Take these tips into consideration and see the difference in both the environment and your bank account.

Routine Maintenance

Routine maintenance is perhaps the most important part of maintaining your air conditioning system and therefore increasing your homes’ energy efficiency. Having a professional inspect your HVAC unit on an annual basis will allow any potential or current problems to be taken care of on the forefront, before they become a bigger problem. The professional will inspect the system and locate any issues and be able to fix them in an efficient and timely manner. Many major problems can be prevented with routine inspections. Also, it will improve your HVAC system’s ability to run efficiently.

Maintenance can include more than an inspection from a professional. Routine maintenance can also include changing the air filter every one to three months or simply walking around your house with a tube of caulk to fill the holes where the air could possibly be leaking out. This task can also include sealing the leaks around the windows and doors. Another tip is to switch out light bulbs to more energy efficient ones. LED bulbs may have a higher up-front cost, but when you consider the fact that they last a minimum of five years, the saving and energy efficiency that comes with that lifecycle are well worth the cost. These simple steps can increase your system’s efficiency and decrease your monthly energy bills in a significant way.

Programmable Thermostat

Programming your thermostat to predetermined temperatures throughout the day can drastically save on your energy usage. Programming your thermostat will allow you to set the temperature on a higher setting or schedule it to turn off completely during the day. Also, reducing the adjustments made to your thermostat throughout the day can save on energy usage as well, often lowering your monthly bills. Often times making drastic and frequent adjustments to your thermostat can cause your air conditioning unit to overextend itself, thus using more energy.

Natural Air

On days that are somewhat cool in temperature, a good way to save on energy and the life of your air conditioning unit is to utilize the natural air outside. On windy days, it can be nice to open windows and use the breeze from outside to cool your home. Also, you can turn on a fan in your home to help circulate air throughout the house as well. Another way to use natural air is to keep the curtains closed in your home during the day when the sunlight is most likely to shine inside the rooms. This can also help to insulate your home by keeping the heat from the sun out and can reduce the amount of work your air conditioning unit puts out.

Utilizing these simple steps can increase your air conditioning system’s ability to be more efficient and increase its’ lifespan in the long run. The decision to make these small changes now could positively affect your home’s energy efficiency in the long run!

About the Author

Tess Young is an HVAC technician who lives in Lewisburg PA. She loves writing blogs on Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning topics. She started blogging as a way to share her innovative ideas with people or companies involved in the HVAC industry.

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