Summer will arrive fast and the air conditioning systems in your home will switch on to perform their valuable service.
Routine AC maintenance is essential for keeping your AC system running efficiently. Regular maintenance of your air conditioner’s filters, coils, fins, refrigerant lines, and blower components is crucial for optimal performance and to ensure the system’s efficiency and safe operation.
It’s a service that costs money, however. The compressor in an air conditioner consumes more electricity than almost any other residential appliance with the exception of an electric water heater. The reason you see your electric bills rise in summer is mostly due to running the AC. Dirty, clogged filters reduce airflow and the system’s efficiency, while a clean air conditioner runs far more efficiently than a dirty one.
We want to help you save money with your summer cooling, so we’ve put together some basic ways to cut down on what you pay to run your AC. Regularly keeping your air conditioner free from leaves and other debris can significantly extend its lifespan and minimize many of the issues caused by the build-up of dirt and debris. Regular maintenance can extend the lifespan of your air conditioning unit, whether it’s a central air conditioner or a heat pump. If you need AC repair in Minneapolis, MN, reach out to our team.
ONE: Always schedule maintenance before summer.
If we could only give one piece of advice about lowering AC costs, it would be this: schedule AC maintenance before the summer heat arrives. Arranging for our professionals to give your cooling system a full tune-up and inspection will prevent it from suffering a drop in its energy efficiency. Neglecting maintenance will mean at least a 5% efficiency decline and this can soon add up to paying much more than necessary for your comfort.
Annual maintenance is essential for ensuring all parts of the equipment are operating within their proper specifications. Professional maintenance includes a thorough inspection by a professional technician, who has the specialized tools and knowledge to perform detailed inspections and cleaning that most homeowners are not equipped to handle.
During a professional maintenance service call, technicians will change air filters, check the thermostat, tighten electrical connections, check refrigerant levels, and inspect the condensate drain to improve reliability and safety. The cost of professional AC maintenance can range between $65 to $200, depending on your location and the complexity of your system. Professional AC maintenance services are essential for identifying potential issues before they escalate and ensuring your system operates at peak performance.
Regular professional maintenance can help prevent costly emergency repairs, improve energy efficiency, and ultimately save money on utility bills.
TWO: Use natural ventilation when possible.
Whenever the outdoor temperatures start to cool, open up the windows in your house. This allows the hot air in your house to escape to the outside and equalize indoor and outdoor temperatures. The closer your indoor temperature is to the outside, the slower heat will move indoors when the temperatures rise again. As a maintenance tip, be sure to check your window seals for any gaps or leaks, as these can allow warm air to enter and force your AC to work harder.
Doing this not only reduces the need for your AC to run, but it also improves indoor air quality. We recommend airing out the house during the cool early evening. You can shut off the AC during this time so it won’t accidentally turn on.
At the start of each cooling season, inspect the seal between the air conditioner and the window frame, and check for leaks in window seals during your AC maintenance to ensure your system operates efficiently.
THREE: Use energy-conserving thermostat settings.
We just mentioned that heat gain slows down when the indoor and outdoor temperatures are close. If you raise your thermostat to the highest setting you find comfortable, it will cause heat to enter your home slower and keep the house from getting too hot.
Using energy-conserving thermostat settings not only saves energy but also helps keep your home comfortable throughout the summer.
It also makes the air conditioner run less often. The US Department of Energy (DOE) recommends setting the thermostat to 78°F during the day when people are home, then raising it by 8–10° at night or when no one is home.
FOUR: Close doors to unused rooms.
Heat enters a home in many ways, and windows are a prime spot. Shuttering and curtaining windows to lower radiant heat exposure definitely helps. But an even more effective method to keep out extra heat is to shut doors to unused rooms. The heat that gathers in these rooms then won’t spread to the rest of the house.
FIVE: Schedule AC repairs as soon as you need them.
Few things will make an air conditioner waste more money than having to run with a malfunction. If your air conditioner is making a racket, shutting on and off too often, or giving off weird odors, it needs repair work even if it otherwise is keeping the house cool. When the AC starts losing cooling power or becomes unreliable, don’t sit on the problem, it will get worse and run up your bills at the same time.
Residential Heating and Air Conditioning has served the Twin Cities Since 1991. Schedule service with us today.