Saving Money On HVAC Work

Posted on: 17 October 2015

AC efficiency is far from being an immovable feature of your unit. Instead, many factors combine to effect the efficiency of your unit. If you want to boost your unit's energy efficiency, you need to keep your coils clean, improve your home's energy efficiency, and maintain your ducts. 

Cleaning Coils

Your AC unit has two sets of coils. The evaporator coils on the inside of your house are protected from the elements, so they stay cleaner than the condenser coils located on the outside of your home. Located at ground level, condenser coils can get clogged with dirt, grass clippings, dandelion fluff, dead leaves, insect carcasses, and other debris. Dirty coils can decrease your home's energy efficiency by up to 30%. Thus, whenever you notice that your coils are getting dirty, you should schedule to have a technician come clean them. 

Improve Energy Efficiency

Much of the heat that your AC unit has to contend with comes into your house through your windows. The problem is that the UV rays that can easily pass through your windows will also easily heat up the interior surfaces of your home. By installing low-e film on your windows, you can filter out the sun's UV rays and reduce the load on your home's AC unit. In this way, you can reduce your cooling costs by up to 23%. 

Repair Leaky Ducts

Over time, ducts will develop leaks because the constant pressure of the air flowing through the ducts will eventually cause the duct seals to leak. These ducts can decrease the efficiency of your system by up to 40%. If you notice an increase in your cooling costs that does not correspond with an increase in your utility costs, then you should consider having your ducts inspected. If your ducts are enclosed behind the drywall of your home, then you will have to have professionals come to inspect your ducts and repair as needed. 

Improving your AC system is within your reach. Installing window film is not expensive, and you should be able to easily fit an occasional coil cleaning or duct sealing into your budget. The improvement in your cooling costs should easily justify the expense. The main thing to remember is that your AC efficiency is not something that you should just accept as a fact of life. Instead, if you think you can get better efficiency from your system, it's time to start doing what you can to improve your efficiency. To find out more, speak with a business like Atlantic Heating and Cooling.