While most of the rest of the country prepares for the heating season, we continue to rely on our air conditioners to keep us cool during the daylight hours. While comfort is important, of course, so is cost-effectiveness. Nobody likes to choose between getting a massive bill at the end of every month or going without climate control. Fortunately, there are a couple of different things that you can do to help improve your air conditioner efficiency. Read on to find out how!
Air Conditioning Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is a big part of making sure that your air conditioner stays healthy and efficient. Most of the issues that afflict air conditioners don’t give off very noticeable signs when they first start to develop. By the time you notice any external symptoms of a problem with your air conditioner, it’s likely that the system will have already become damaged from dealing with that problem for an extended period of time. If you want to keep your system in ideal shape, the best thing to do is to schedule professional services before you start to notice symptoms. That means preventive maintenance.
A preventive maintenance appointment involves a close examination of your air conditioner, allowing your technician to find and fix any issues that may have developed. It also gives them the opportunity to locate any potential problems that may develop in the future, and resolve them before they get any worse. Air conditioners that receive regular maintenance have been shown to be up to 90% less likely to develop problems in the future, and up to 40% more energy efficient than systems that don’t receive maintenance. This is one of the single greatest ways to increase your air conditioning efficiency. Most homeowners can get by with scheduling maintenance once a year. Since we use our air conditioners more frequently than in other parts of the country, though, it’s a good idea to schedule maintenance for your cooling system every six months.
Duct Sealing
One of the biggest drags on an air conditioner’s efficiency is duct leaks, at least for those systems that use ducts. Ducts are actually quite susceptible to developing leaks over time. Whether it’s due to errors during installation, or years of expanding and contracting with the temperature of the air, ducts can develop quite a few small leaks. While individual leaks are not that big of a deal, their impact starts to add up quickly. The average forced air climate control system loses up to 30% of its total output to duct leaks. That’s nearly a third of the total output that the system generates going to waste, which you still have to pay for. If you want to improve your air conditioner’s efficiency and your comfort levels at the same time, it’s a good idea to have your ducts sealed.
Climate Masters provides a full range of air conditioning maintenance and duct sealing services in St. Augustine, FL. If you need help improving your air conditioner efficiency, contact us for an appointment.
