5 Ways To Lower Energy Bills With Air Conditioner Maintenance
If you are receiving insanely crazy electricity bills lately then you are just like me. Yes! It is not a problem of a single person, almost all of us have the same issue. And you will be surprised to hear that according to the statistics of US Department of Energy, air conditioning and heating make up about 43% of our utility bills. Insane! Right? That is an average of $375 on our electricity bill due to the use of an air conditioning unit. But we cannot, however, do without an air conditioner especially during summer days when the temperature is very high. The only solution to this problem is through air conditioner maintenance. This will help you to achieve the perfect health of your air conditioning unit which will surely reduce the billing cost. Here are few air conditioner maintenance tips that will help you in achieving the perfect health for your air conditioner and will reduce your energy bills.
- Install a programmable thermostat: Programmable thermostats cut energy usage by adjusting temperatures while you’re away or asleep. You can program them yourself or purchase one that slowly adapts to your temperature preferences. Some can even be set up with an app away from home. According to the Department of Energy, you can save up to 10% annually by adjusting your temperature by seven to ten degrees for eight hours a day. Programmable thermostats can automate the process.
- Replace your air conditioner’s air filters: The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system's efficiency significantly. With normal air flow obstructed, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil's heat-absorbing capacity. Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
- Replacing the faulty AC Ducts: Consider checking the ducts for torn insulation, partial blockages, disconnects, and holes. When there is a fault in the ducts, cool air does not move to the rooms in your home as efficiently as it should no matter how well your air conditioner may be working. This means that you are actually paying for air that is escaping, air that you never actually feel inside your house. Enlisting the services of professionals to get the ducts checked and fixed on a regular basis improves efficiency. In most cases, they will check the system for any mechanical faults and fix them to ensure optimal performance while saving on energy.
- Coil Fins: The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils are easily bent and can block airflow through the coil. Air conditioning wholesalers sell a tool called a "fin comb" that will comb these fins back into nearly original condition.
- Air Conditioner Coils: The air conditioner's evaporator coil and condenser coil collect dirt over their months and years of service. A clean filter prevents the evaporator coil from soiling quickly. In time, however, the evaporator coil will still collect dirt. This dirt reduces airflow and insulates the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat. To avoid this problem, check your evaporator coil every year and clean it as necessary.
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