With Spring right around the corner, temperatures are beginning to rise, and you will likely be running the largest appliance at your home, your air conditioner, for the months to come. Many people often experience a significant increase in their energy consumption, and an increase in their bills each month during the warmer seasons. Here are some things that you can do that may help save energy in your home, and could potentially save you money this year on those bills!
Maintaining your air conditioning unit and HVAC System
Routine maintenance on your HVAC system can help cut down on energy costs by increasing the efficiency of your units, resulting in less energy usage. This routine maintenance can include things like spraying down your condenser coil with a water hose to remove some dirt, debris, and grass, trimming up plants and removing other items that may be around the outdoor unit to allow for more air flow, changing the air filters in your home, and having an Infinity professional perform a full tune up on your unit, in which they would perform a deeper clean on your unit, inspect all parts, lubricate all moving parts, and more to ensure that your unit can operate as efficiently as possible.
Close windows and window shades during hottest parts of the day
Although this is a simple concept, it could help your unit keep up better while cooling your home. Sunshine is a natural source of warmth, and while IV indexes are the highest (April through August), it can have a direct impact on the temperature of your home, and how hard your unit must work to maintain a comfortable temperature. Closing your blinds, shades, and windows, can reduce the amount of direct sunlight from the sun in your home, allowing the cooler air that your unit is producing to remain as cool as possible.
Try a Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats use a newer technology than traditional thermostats can not to reduce energy usage while you are away from your home, sleeping, and during your normal daily activities! Smart thermostats use this technology to learn their users’ preferences and routines to adjust temperature settings according to those, to maximize efficiency and use less energy whenever it can. They also allow you to control them remotely, allowing you to let the temperature be more efficient while you are away, and only adjust it for comfort while you are on your way home, for example. Lastly, smart thermostats also can provide the user some data to help the homeowner to know how efficiently their units are performing, and allowing user to adjust accordingly. If you are interested in a new smart thermostat, Infinity can install one for you!
Have a professional inspection done on your ductwork
Your ductwork is an essential aspect of how well, how quickly, and how efficiently your units can cool your home. If your ductwork is damaged, has a small hole, isn’t routed correctly, or has any other flaws, that can cause a disruption in airflow that does not allow a certain room or part of your house to cool as well, causing your unit to work harder and longer to cool the entire rest of your home also. We recommend having your ductwork visually inspected at least once per year, and our technicians even do for free during your AC tune ups!
Upgrade your unit to a more energy-efficient model
It is possible that your unit is just not operating as efficiently as it used it, and it may be time to replace that unit with a newer model with a higher SEER rating. The higher the SEER rating, the better it is for the environment, and the more efficient it is. This cost of a new unit could be worth it, for it could save you up to 50% on your energy bills each month, potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars of savings in one year. Infinity’s Comfort Specialists are experts in efficiency and are committed to helping you select a system that not only keeps your family comfortable, but also helps you save money in the long run. Call 901-622-4822 today for your free, in- home estimate on your new unit or system!
