In the typical household, the energy expended by your air conditioning system can account for as much as 50 percent of your total energy costs. Most family’s energy use and cost rises in the summer, so now is the time to consider some energy efficient upgrades for your home and your A/C. Here are a few cost effective, energy saving investments you can implement in your home.
Seal Your Home
Any little gaps creating drafts in your home can significantly increase the amount you are spending on heating and cooling. Sealing windows and doors and properly insulating your home will help reduce you energy consumption in every season. Weather-stripping and caulking your doors and windows or replacing them with insulated ones will help keep the heat out in the summer and cold out in the winter. It is also important to add insulation in key drafty areas, such as your attic. This includes filling any gaps around wiring, chimneys, pipes, and lighting fixtures.
Seal Your A/C
In most homes, ductwork leaks a significant portion of the air which your HVAC system has worked to heat or cool. In fact, properly sealing and insulating the ductwork in your home can cut your energy costs by as much as 30 percent. However, this isn’t a job you should tackle on your own. It takes time and can be messy, but an HVAC technician will have the training and equipment to easily give your ductwork an energy efficient upgrade.
Learning Thermostat
Learning thermostats allow you to computerize control of your home’s heating and air conditioning system. Some models even allow you to adjust your home’s temperature via smartphone. This means you have the ability to dial back your heating and cooling when you and your loved ones are out of the house. This will save your system from unnecessary wear and save your family from unnecessary energy costs. Systems like these typically pay for themselves within 5 years, but for some, in as little as 18 months.
Ceiling Fans
Using ceiling fans to relieve heat is a great and cost effective alternative or additive measure to A/C use in the hotter months. Ceiling fans work to cool people in your home, rather than the space itself. The air movement they produce evaporates moisture from the skin to cool your body. However, ceiling fans are also beneficial in the colder months of the year. Ceiling fans help to circulate the air in your home, forcing rising warm air back down. Keeping your ceiling fans running clockwise and at a low speed can prove an extra benefit in the colder months. For most people, ceiling fans are not a costly or time-consuming investment. It’s simply a matter of turning them on and letting them work in your favor throughout the year.
If you have questions about your HVAC systems’ energy efficiency or if you are looking to make energy efficient upgrades, contact Climate Tech Heating and Air Conditioning today.
