When the hot summer weather hits Arizona, there’s no doubt that having a home cooling system is an absolute necessity. Unfortunately, entering into another season can have you cringing about the thought of receiving high cooling bills. However, you can be very proactive in helping to increase the efficiency of your cooling system so that you can reduce your energy bills throughout the hot summer season.
Maintenance Service
One of the very first things that you always want to ensure that you do is get professional maintenance service for your system. It can be helpful to sign up for our maintenance plan to ensure that you never forget to schedule maintenance service. Ideally, this professional maintenance will be done in the early spring so that your system is ready to take on the summer season ahead.
Maintenance service will take care of things like lubricating moving parts, recharging your refrigerant level, calibrating your thermostat, inspecting system components, cleaning dirty components, and so forth. It’s important to keep in mind that this maintenance service is typically required to maintain the warranty coverage for your system and goes a very long way in extending its overall lifespan.
Filter Changes
The air filter inside your air conditioning system can have a big impact on its overall operating performance. Whenever the air filter gets overly dirty and needs to be replaced, it can restrict the flow of air throughout your ducting. This will cause your air conditioning system to kick into overdrive. It’s a good rule of thumb to check your filter at least once a month and replace it whenever necessary. Be sure to have a spare filter ready to go so that you don’t have to hesitate to do a replacement.
Keep Outdoor Unit Clean
A really important component of your air conditioning system is its outdoor condenser unit. Because it’s outside, this unit is susceptible to debris blowing up against the side of it. Whenever debris is against the side of your unit, it can restrict the ability of your system to release hot air outside.
It’s vitally essential that you check your outdoor unit at least once a month and remove any debris that’s stuck up against it. You may even want to consider investing in a barrier fence or other construct that will help to keep debris away from the unit. This is important while still allowing enough space for the free flow of air around it.
Keep Vents Completely Open
The various air vents throughout your home play a key role in the successful operation of your cooling system. If you close even just one of your air vents, it can affect the operating performance of your system because of the pressure change inside your ductwork. It’s necessary to go around at the beginning of the summer season and ensure that all your air vents are completely open. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure there are no obstructions around the vent that could partially restrict the airflow coming out of it or in it, depending on what type of vent it is.
Get Duct Cleaning and Sealing Services
Another thing to consider is getting duct cleaning and sealing services. As your ducting works to move air throughout your home, it’s constantly pulling in debris that can get stuck inside it. This debris can build up over time and restrict the flow of air throughout your ductwork. This means that your system will deliver a smaller amount of cold air over the same amount of time. This tends to lead to longer run times for your air conditioning system to get your home to an adequate temperature setting.
Additionally, the natural expansion and contraction of the metal ductwork can allow joints to open up over time. This gaping can allow conditioned air to escape into your wall and floor cavities instead of making it to the rooms of your home. Therefore, only some of the conditioned air will make it to the rooms of your home. If so, your air conditioning system will inevitably have to run longer to make up for the loss due to your leaky ductwork. A great way to solve both of these issues is to have one of our professionals come out and clean all your ducting and then seal it up.
Supplement With Ceiling Fans
One of the best-kept secrets for helping to lower your energy bills throughout the summer season is to rely heavily on ceiling fans. By installing these fans in the various rooms of your home you can better control how you feel in each room without having to alter the settings on your air conditioning system.
When you run ceiling fans in a counterclockwise direction, they force a breeze of air down onto you. This helps to wick away sweat and cool down your body temperature. This can make you feel up to 10 degrees colder than the room actually is. When you feel cooler, you can set the temperature on your air conditioning system higher and still remain just as comfortable inside your home.
Use a Smart Thermostat
One other great trick for helping to increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system is to invest in a smart thermostat. This type of thermostat can allow you to program in different temperature settings depending on the time of the day and the day of the week. You can use this to your advantage by increasing the temperature setting at times you know you’re going to be away, such as those hours when you’re going to be at work. Some newer smart thermostats that have learning technology can even make suggestions on how to better adjust your settings to decrease your energy usage and system runtime.
Seal Up and Insulate Your Home
Think about the overall operating efficiency of your air conditioning system. When you do, it’s important to realize that the amount of insulation you have and how well your home is sealed off from the outdoors can have a big impact. If your home lacks adequate insulation and there are various air gaps on your exterior walls, then hot air from outside will simply seep into your home.
Your cooling system will constantly combat this hot air and increase your energy bills in the process. It’s best to upgrade your home’s insulation to ensure it meets or exceeds the minimum recommendations for your area. Additionally, seal up any air leaks around door and window frames on your exterior walls with items like spray foam, caulking, and even weatherstripping.
Consider Upgrading
If your existing air conditioning system is over 10 years old, you may want to consider upgrading to a new system. Newer cooling systems have a much better energy efficiency rating. The higher the efficiency rating of the system, the less money it’s going to cost you on energy bills.
A Note on Repairs
One of the biggest ways to kill the operating efficiency of your cooling system is continuing to run it when it’s experiencing a malfunction. Whenever you notice that something is off with your system, it’s time to give us a call. Prompt repair service is necessary to restore the efficient operation of your AC system.
Reliable AC Maintenance Service
Goettl's High Desert Mechanical offers reliable AC maintenance service for the Camp Verde, AZ community. We can help with all your air conditioning, heating, indoor air quality, ductless system, air duct, and zone control system needs. If you do experience an issue, remember that Goettl's High Desert Mechanical offers 24/7 service to address any problem with your air conditioning system. Call us today to schedule your next service consultation with one of our helpful HVAC technicians.
