Thursday, July 28th, 2011
We’re all looking to save some money these days, and one of the best ways to do just that is to make the most out of what you already have. Major appliances tend to be a big investment, and aren’t always doable when we may need them. Air conditioners are no different, whether you have a centralized system or a window unit. Today we’re going to go over a few simple steps you can take to help extend the life cycle of our air conditioner and help save some money on monthly bills in the process.
If you don’t have one already, you may want to look into installing a thermostat. Utilizing one will allow you to maintain an even and steady temperature, and if you go with a programmable thermostat, you’ll have the freedom to custom your cooling schedule.
If you’re using a central cooling system, than you’ll want to check your air ducts for leaks and insulation. Any leaks should be sealed and any areas of the air ducts that travel through un-insulated parts of your home should have some king of insulation. You don’t want the air heating up before it has a chance to get out of the air ducts.
Make sure you check and clean your air filters on a monthly basis, cleaning and replacing the filters when necessary. A dirty or clogged air filter causes your whole system to work harder and harder to achieve the same cooling results.
Also be sure to keep the area around the air conditioning unit itself clear of debris and anything else that might block air flow. Generally speaking, you want to keep about a three foot radius around the unit clear. Since most units are kept outside, you’ll want to make sure that there aren’t any bushes or weeds in the immediate vicinity.
And lastly, look into investing in fans. Having ceiling and other fans running during the day will help keep your home cool without using much electricity. All in all, there are a range of steps you can take to not only extend the life cycle of your air conditioner and help keep your monthly bills low in the process.
Tags: Air conditioners, central cooling system, programmable thermostat, replacing the filters
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Air conditioners are wonderful inventions. They allow us to stay cool during an otherwise miserably hot summer, and they provide us one of our most granted luxuries. So many of us take our air conditioning systems for granted, but how many of us actually know how these seemingly magical contraptions do the job? It can’t be as simple as just pumping cool air, there has to be more to it. How does it make the air cool to begin with?
How refrigeration works is a very interesting question, and one that we’re all a little curious about. In a nut shell, the whole process works by utilizing a repetitive cycle of condensing and evaporating a gas, one with a low boiling point and that isn’t toxic to humans or animals, while at the same time being relatively safe for the environment.
There are six main components that make your air conditioner, an all refrigeration really, work the way they do. You have the refrigerant, a compressor, an expansion valve, condenser and evaporator coils and a fan. There are obviously more components, but these are the elementary ones that make the whole concept work.
The refrigerant gas is compressed into the condenser coils where the increase in pressure causes the gas to heat up. Once enough pressure is achieved, the gas condenses into a liquid where it is then released through the expansion valve separating the condenser and evaporator coils. The pressure in the evaporator coils is far lower than in the condenser coils, so the liquid refrigerant can now expand and evaporate. Since the temperature of the liquid refrigerant can’t be higher than its boiling temperature, it cools the evaporator coils down to its boiling point, typically somewhere under 0 degrees F.
The pressure in the evaporator coils is lower than the condenser coils because the compressor is pulling the cool gas from the evaporator coils and forcing it into the condenser coils. This is where the fan comes into play, by pushing the cool air from around the evaporator coils into the home. It’s through this repetitive process and the enclosed system the refrigerant is contained in that we’re able to cool our homes and vehicles. It’s actually pretty cool when you learn how it all works.
Tags: air conditioners efficiency, air conditioning systems, condenser coils, evaporator coils, How refrigeration works
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Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Programmable thermostats are a wonderful thing. They give us the ability to customize the cooling and heating schedule for our homes, allowing us to keep our homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter without digging deeply into your wallet.
It’s hard to argue with the practically of a programmable thermostat. They provide great energy savings without a hefty price tag – most programmable thermostats fall between $50 and $200, far less than the price to replace a furnace or switching out for more energy efficient appliances.
The whole point of a programmable thermostat is to give you the ability to cool or heat the areas of your home that you want when you want. This has amazing cost saving potential. When you’re away at work all day, you probably don’t need your air conditioner blasting, working overtime in the summer heat to keep your home at a cool temperature. It’s just a waste if you’re not there to enjoy it.
But, at the same time, nobody wants to come home to a home that feels more like an oven. With a programmable thermostat, you can have the AC shut off shortly before or after leaving the house, and kick back on again an hour or so before you get home. Roughly, that’s about 8 hours of cooling saved.
The flexibility just doesn’t extend to timing when your AC turns on or off, you can also program specific sections of your home to be ignored, such as a guest room. It doesn’t really make much sense to pay to have a room cooled or heated when you’re not even using it. Cutting areas like these out of the equation helps the areas of your home you want cool to get there faster and keep more money in your wallet at the end of the month.
There are a good deal of benefits to having a programmable thermostat, the main point of which is the overall savings and more efficient use of power. But, while a programmable thermostat can help reduce monthly bills, it is no replacement for an old or warn down system, so make sure that you keep up to date on your system maintenance and cleanings. Combined, you’ll find yourself staying cool this summer and warm this winter all while still having money in your pocket.
Tags: Air conditioning, energy efficient appliances, programmable thermostat, Temecula air conditioning
Posted in Air Conditioning, Heating | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
A dirty air filter is the #1 reason for most HVAC system failures. A dirty air filter doesn’t allow air to pass through it so easily, if at all, and causes additional strain on the fan motor for the air handler. Over time the strain builds up and can cause the air handler motor to fail, causing your system to overheat and ultimately suffer the same fate.
Before it slowly chokes your air conditioning system, a dirty air filter will increase your utility and power bills. Since it’s preventing proper air flow, it’s forcing your fan motor to work harder to achieve the same results, eating up more and more power in the process.
As if eating up money and slowly killing your air conditioning system wasn’t enough, a dirty air filter actually causes air ducts inside your home to get dirty faster. With the buildup of dust and debris comes more opportunity for mold and bacteria to grow, ultimately lowering the overall quality of the air inside your home, as well as possibly having an effect on your overall health.
The point is, there are several reasons why you should keep on top of your air filter. Make sure it is cleaned regularly. Not only will it help increase the overall lifespan of your system, but it will help keep your bills down.
Tags: air conditioning system, air filter, dirty air filter, HVAC system
Posted in Air Conditioning, Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off
