Routinely having your HVAC system cleaned and tuned up could boost its performance and help save you money because a well-maintained HVAC system can use much less energy than an HVAC system that is not. But what else can you do? We’ve got more easy steps you can do to increase your Huffman home’s energy efficiency.
- Seal any leaks around your windows and doors. Put on caulk or weatherstripping at the locations you detect leaks.
- Insulate your walls and attic. You may equate insulation with keeping your home warm during the winter, but it also helps in the summer. When it’s hot outside, heat is continually seeking cooler places—like your home. Be sure you have adequate insulation to keep the heat from flowing through your attic and walls and decreasing your home comfort.
- Have your ducts been cleaned? Clean ducts make it easier for air to flow through your home, which makes your air conditioner’s job smoother.
- While you’re at it, make sure your ducts are properly sealed to avoid air leaks and insulate them if needed. If the ducts are leaking, you are losing valuably heated or cooled air. Properly sealing and insulating ducts is even more important if they are located in the attic, a vented crawlspace, or any other unconditioned area.
- Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible during the summer. To help possibly keep your cooling bill lower, keep the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures as low as possible. According to the Department of Energy, you can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by just turning your thermostat back 7° to 10°F from its normal setting for 8 hours a day. If you use a ceiling fan in conjunction with your air conditioner, you can raise your thermostat setting by about 4°F without negatively impacting your comfort.
- Install a programmable thermostat. Sure, thermostats can be adjusted manually, but programmable thermostats make managing your home’s comfort and efficiency so easy. You can automatically modify your temperature when you’re away from home or when you’re sleeping while avoiding discomfort because your home’s temperature will return to normal before you get home or wake up.
- If you decide not to use a programmable thermostat, avoid setting your thermostat at a colder-than-usual setting when you turn on your air conditioner. Your house won’t cool down any faster and will only cost you extra money in energy.
- Don’t place lamps, TV sets, or other heat-generating appliances near your thermostat. This practice can make your air conditioner run longer than necessary because your thermostat senses heat from these appliances and thinks your home needs cooled.
- [Use|Utilize|Take advantage of]54] your windows. If it’s cooler at night, turn off your AC and open the windows. Shut the windows and your curtains or blinds in the morning to trap the cooler air and hinder heat gain through the windows.
- Invest in new, energy-efficient equipment. If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not matching with your home-comfort needs, call Air Houston Mechanical LLC for an evaluation. It may be time to replace it with ENERGY STAR®-qualified equipment that can cut your annual energy bill by more than $115, according to energystar.gov.
If you’ve got more questions about how to improve your home’s energy efficiency, think it might be time for more energy-efficient equipment, or simply want to arrange a regular maintenance appointment, call Air Houston Mechanical LLC at (832) 501-3419 and our experts can help.
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