All of us spend money on air conditioning — though some, perhaps, more than others! If you’re looking at your monthly energy bill and wincing at a high number, you aren’t alone. But at the same time, you may be wondering why you pay more than others? Is it because you’re using the wrong home air conditioning compressor? Is it because you need an air conditioning repair? Do heating and cooling parts need to be replaced? Perhaps the problem is all of those things put together! The issue is that most of us don’t know what we’re dealing with when it comes to heating and cooling systems. We aren’t talking about highly complicated commercial air conditioning systems here. Even home air conditioning repair remains a mystery to most of us. (On that note, do most of us even know what a home air conditioning compressor actually is?) In order to save money on air conditioning, you first have to know what exactly you’re dealing with. You can’t learn everything you should know about air conditioning in one day, but you can work to learn few things here and there. Let’s discuss a few points of HVAC systems, and try to demystify the issue a little bit.
1. Maintenance Is Key
Many of us have never had to have a home air conditioning unit installed. This is because most of us just take the unit that comes with a home when we buy it. Some don’t even know how old their HVAC unit is. As such, many of the problems you might experience with your HVAC unit — from poor performance to inexplicably high energy bills — could be because it’s old. An old HVAC unit may not be performing poorly because something is necessarily wrong with — in fact, the unit may simply be outdated. Newer units are often more energy efficient, which means that a replacement could be in your future if you want to save money. However, early replacements can cost more than they’re worth. Maintaining a unit for as long as possible can save you a lot of money. Even if you don’t see anything visibly wrong with your air conditioning unit, have it serviced regularly. It’s believed that with the right maintenance, the average HVAC unit should last about 12 to 15 years. Furthermore, something as simple as changing air filters every 90 days can save you a lot of money in damage and repairs. Ask your repair technician to teach you about what kind of problems to look for — and perhaps then you can identify that pesky home air conditioning compressor as well!
2. Take Steps To Be More Energy Efficient
There are many ways in which you can save money on heating and cooling through energy efficiency. The fact is that a lack of energy efficiency is probably the main reason why you’re losing money each month, and that often comes down to the performance of your HVAC unit. To cut down on costs, you can take some simple measures. By properly ventilating your attic, you can reduce energy costs by 10 to 12%. You can also cool your air faster and help your unit by using box fans, ceiling fans, and whole house fans.
3. Knowing When To Replace A Unit
The fact is that as much as we’d like to cut costs through maintenance and energy efficiency, sometimes you have no choice to replace a unit. Ideally, you’ll replace a unit after it’s exhausted itself — maybe it’s that old home air conditioning compressor, finally able to go no further! If your unit is completely outdated, it may be a better investment to replace it with an energy efficient unit, especially if you plan on selling your home in the future. Furthermore, there are situations in which a replacement is a better long-term option than repairs. Ask your repair technician to be completely honest with you about the prospects of your unit.
