Improve Home Energy Efficiency With These Helpful HVAC Tips
For many homeowners in the Central Massachusetts area, Karpouzis Commercial Refrigeration HVAC services have been a lifesaver when it comes to ensuring that their systems are working properly, especially during those snowbound New England winters. Even more importantly, is the positive impact that proper preventative maintenance and service calls can have on a system’s energy efficiency as well as the lifespan of the unit. Since 1973 when our business was established, that is what we have stayed focused on in the greater Boston and Metrowest areas.
While you may or may not be living in an energy-efficient home, having regularly scheduled maintenance and service checks will ensure that you experience a lower frequency of A/C Repair and furnace repair expenses. At the same time, those system checks will help to improve the level of energy efficiency that you experience and lower your monthly utility bills. So regardless of the temperatures outside, you can still be comfortable inside while consuming less energy.
An Integral Component of Everyday Life
It’s no secret that the HVAC system in your home or office plays a key role in your everyday life. It helps you to keep cooler during summertime and warmer in the chill of winter. However, without regular preventative maintenance and service, your system will have to work much harder to your home or office cooler or warmer and it will consume more energy in the process. As a result, your monthly utility bills will keep increasing until you can no longer afford the cost of running your system.
Tips for better Energy Efficiency
KCR, Inc. has a few helpful tips for home and office owners that could help you save money by reducing the frequency of air conditioning and heating repair service calls. Consider the following:
Change air filters regularly – if you notice that your air filters are discolored then they are probably well overdue for replacement. The time to change your filters is before the debris, dirt, and other impurities floating around in the air has had a chance to build up on them and discolor them. Not only will your utility bills increase because the system has to work harder to cool and heat your home, it will also increase the amount of dirt and other pollutants that invade your indoor environment.
Clean the unit on a regular basis – you can avoid costly A/C Repair and furnace repair bills just by keeping your HVAC units cleaned on a regular basis. If you see that debris has accumulated, you should clean it up immediately, especially if it is covering the top of the unit. In many cases, reduced operational efficiently is directly attributed to debris obstructing the air flow within the system. We will be happy to provide tips on how to clean the unit properly if requested.
If possible, clean the condenser coils – this is one of the most essential components of any HVAC system. Since the energy efficiency level of your unit is directly related to the ability of the coils to function properly, it will take your system longer to cool or heat your home if they are clogged with dirt. We recommend that you clean them at regularly scheduled intervals whenever possible. Depending on the make and model number, you may have to contact us to perform this particular task.
Insulation factor – there’s no such thing as over-insulating a house, especially when you’re talking about the attic and walls. Properly insulating these areas ensures that less cool air will escape in summer and less warm air will escape during the winter. It will also keep your air conditioning system over-working and driving up those monthly utility bills during the warmer weather when you need it to operate properly.
Settings on the A/C humidifier – this component should be set properly in order to prevent your indoor air temperature from getting too high or matching the outdoor air temperature. Improper humidifier settings lead to excess energy consumption and decreased operational efficiency since it will cause you’re A/C to work harder and consume more energy. We recommend a humidity setting of 35%. However, you can change that depending on the type of weather you are currently having.
Size of the unit – this is one of the most crucial considerations when you are buying a new HVAC system for your home or office. Many business and homeowners make the mistake of purchasing too large of a unit to facilitate their needs. In this case, an over-sized unit can be just as energy-inefficient as an under-sized one. In either case, you could see increasingly larger monthly utility bills over time. So it is imperative that you purchase a unit that is the proper size.
Additional Considerations
While the above information is important, there are additional considerations to take into account. First of all, care should always be taken to reduce the allergens and pollutants within your home or office, especially when there are people with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions on the premises. An excess amount of these materials in the indoor environment could easily trigger an adverse reaction that poses a physical health threat to the afflicted person.
Another recommendation, if it applies to your home or office is to reduce any odors that may exist within them. In most cases, installing exhaust fans will take care of these problems. In homes without HVAC returns, leaving your doors open will reduce the concentration of fumes and odors. You should also take care by choosing cleaning products that are environmentally-friendly and non-toxic.
If you would like more information on how to improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC system or to have us develop a preventative maintenance and service plan for your home or office system, please contact Karpouzis Commercial Refrigeration at your earliest convenience. Remember, we take you and your family’s personal comfort seriously.