Tips to Reduce Energy Consumption with Central AC Use

2. Keep Your AC Unit Running at Peak Performance

Regular maintenance helps your AC run more efficiently and prevents costly breakdowns.

• Replace air filters regularly to avoid airflow blockages.
• Schedule annual AC tune-ups with a professional HVAC technician.
• Ensure your AC unit is properly sized for your home to prevent overworking.

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3. Block Out Unwanted Heat

The sun will heat any object it shines upon and that includes the inside of your home. These tips will help reduce solar heating as well as save your flooring and furniture from fading.

• Close curtains on windows facing the sun
• Install thermal liners on your curtains – they reflect more of the heat back out the window
• Install window tinting on sun facing windows – residential tint film is designed to cut UV rays substantially
• Plant trees and shrubs around your house – their shade will help keep the house cooler
• Paint your house a lighter color – darker colors absorb solar energy, lighter colors reflect it away
• Make sure your attic is properly ventilated, your roof absorbs a lot of heat. Vents in the eaves allows hot air to escape. Consider adding a ridge vent or attic fan.

4. Reduce Internal Heat Sources

Besides the sun there are many things and activities around the home that produce heat.

• Turn off pilot lights on gas furnaces and fire places – you don’t need them during the summer
• Cook outside – It’s summer, enjoy the BBQ as much as possible on hot days
• Install compact florescent bulbs, they produce a lot less heat than incandescent bulbs
• Turn off appliances – even unplug them. Many TV’s, CD players, satellite TV receivers, stereos, cell phone chargers and other electronic devices draw power and give off heat even when turned off.
• Keep your fridge and freezer full – more food in your fridge and freezer means it won’t warm up as fast when the door is open. Also all that thermal mass stays cooler longer and the fridge does not have to work as hard to keep it cool. When the cooling system is running on your fridge it is producing warm air in your home.
• Take shorter showers and vent off the warm moist air – open a window while showering.
• Reduce clothing dryer use – hang clothing outside if you can. Don’t use the dryer during peak daytime temperatures, instead use it early morning or in the evening. And keep that lint trap clean!
• Don’t use the dryer setting on your dishwasher. Instead open the door and let them air dry.

5. Improve Airflow and Circulation by Dividing your House into Zones

Large buildings employ zoning to more efficiently manage cooling and heating. You can do the same in your home. Most modern central air systems will employ automated zone control systems. Some home systems may employ two or three different central ac units each cooling a single floor of the house. If your system does not have these sorts of zone controls built in you can try these tips.

• Have your HVAC contractor install zone dampers into your air duct system.
• Close off empty and unused rooms – close doors, windows, curtains and vents. There is no need to cool this space as much as the rest of your home.
• If your central AC uses separate thermostats for different floors (or zones) of your house, adjust temperatures according to usage patterns in those parts of your house.
• Use small room AC units in your more lived in areas (living room, bedroom). You can let the rest of the house remain a few degrees warmer, reducing central a/c use which can offset the costs of the extra unit.

6. Insulate for Better Efficiency

Prevent cool air from escaping by:

• Use fans – they circulate the air around and moving air help your bodies natural air conditioning (evapo-transpiration) work better.
• Turn fans off when you’re not in the room. Moving air cools your skin, moving air with no skin nearby cools nothing, it just eats electricity, and the fans’ motor is producing a little bit of heat.
• Re-Arrange your furniture – make sure chairs and sofa’s are not blocking air flow from your HVAC vents.

7. Reduce Humidity in your Home

Ridding your house of excess humidity will help make your family feel more comfortable. You may even be able to set your air conditioner above 78 degrees when using a dehumidifier combined with fans. Your body can stand a couple of extra degrees if the air is drier and moving around.

• Use a dehumidifier to take water out of the air- turn it on when the temperature rises.
• As mentioned above (reduce internal heat gains), minimize showers, baths and boiling water while cooking to reduce humidity inputs into your home.

8. Insulate and Plug Air Leaks Around your Home

Trap cold air inside as much as possible. Letting it leak outdoors mean you have to cool more of it to replace those cold air losses.

• Weather-strip, seal, and caulk leaky doors and windows and install foam gaskets behind outlet covers.
• Seal air ducts – leaky ducts mean you push less cool air to where you need it. Have your AC contractor test and seal your duct work.
• Increase attic insulation – insulate your attic to at least R-30.
• Use kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans sparingly – you’re pumping out your cool air.

Contact Us Today

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Whether you’re upgrading your current system or exploring geothermal technology for the first time, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Call us now at 281-612-1031  or contact us online to schedule your consultation and experience the Clear the Air difference—outstanding service and sustainable comfort you can count on.