Air Conditioning - Tips for Reducing Energy Usage in the Summer

Summer is a great time to get out and enjoy some outdoor activities while the weather is warm. However, we all need to come home to a nice cool home which means that having a good air conditioning system is absolutely critical. One thing that homeowners dread about the summer is the increase in energy usage that comes with running the AC more often.


Read on below to learn about how you might be able to reduce the amount of energy that you use in your home for air conditioning.

Use your fans – Keeping the air moving through your home with sanding fans and ceiling fans is a terrific way to help you feel cooler. While moving the air with fans won’t cool the air, it will keep the air moving over your skin which can help you stay comfortable without running your AC.
The night is cooler – Once the sun goes down, the temperature of the air outside will start to cool down. When it is sufficiently cool, you can use that to stay comfortable throughout the night. Unless it is really hot, the night temperature should be cool enough for you to get good sleep without having to run your AC all night long.

New Air Conditioning for Old Houses

High noon will turn many a classic home into a summertime sweatbox. And while noisy window-mounted air conditioners can lower temperatures, they are just as apt to spoil a charming exterior. Unfortunately, many old homes don’t have a convenient space to install ductwork for a traditional central air-conditioning system. Lowering ceilings or building out walls to hide supply and return ducts is expensive, and can blemish indoor spaces. Sometimes the attic or basement can hold the ductwork, but it’s still a shame to chop big chunks out  of original plaster ceilings, wood floors, or wainscoting to place air registers.

Retrofit Systems
But don’t sweat it: There are air-conditioning systems that don’t need much bulky ductwork. Mini-split systems use individual cooling units placed room by room, which require only a thin refrigerant and power line connecting them to an outdoor air-conditioning compressor and fan. Another alternative, known as high-velocity systems, use two-inch insulated air-supply tubing to deliver chilled air. This tubing can be snaked through existing walls and ceilings in an old home to deliver cool air where it is needed. The registers are unobtrusive discs placed around the perimeter of the ceiling, or high on the walls.

Chilled-water and Cooling-tower AC Units

Although standard air conditioners are very popular, they can use a lot of energy and generate quite a bit of heat. For large installations like office buildings, air handling and conditioning is sometimes managed a little differently.
Some systems use water as part of the cooling process. The two most well-known are chilled water systems and cooling tower air conditioners.
Chilled water systems - In a chilled-water system, the entire air conditioner is installed on the roof or behind the building. It cools water to between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 and 7.2 degrees Celsius). The chilled water is then piped throughout the building and connected to air handlers. This can be a versatile system where the water pipes work like the evaporator coils in a standard air conditioner. If it's well-insulated, there's no practical distance limitation to the length of a chilled-water pipe.

To Get An AC Repair or A New Air Conditioner

AC Repair or New AC, That Is The Question

It's at least one question concerning many homeowners during this initial summer heatwave, as they see their AC repair costs increasing; "Should I pay $300, $500, even $700+ to repair my old central air conditioner, or $3,000, $5,000, $7,000+ to install a new air conditioner?" How did we find ourselves in this situation? The answer is a government ban on the R-22 refrigerant in your home's central AC system.

The government has required that the most common central AC refrigerant (also referred to as FREON) R-22 be phased out by the year 2020. The regulations also require air conditioning manufacturers to cease the shipment of R-22 refrigerant in any new air conditioning systems. When you buy a new air conditioner these days it will most likely contain the more environmentally-friendly R-410A refrigerant or a legal alternative.

AC Repair and Maintenance tips

AC repair is always important, especially in the summer. Nobody wants to think about their air conditioner dying on them during the hottest months of the year, yet sadly that is when it's the most likely to happen. Many people run their air conditioners almost nonstop during the summer, often with little regard for the maintenance that is needed in order to keep everything running smoothly.

As with most complicated appliances, there are several things that can go wrong with an air conditioner that hasn’t been well maintained. A good AC repair company can fix just about any problem, but there are some things that homeowners can do before a technician needs to get involved.

Do you need to replace your current air conditioning system?

When your air conditioning breaks down you need to know that it will be fixed quickly and the job will be done right. An air conditioning system is a huge investment, maybe your largest appliance, so it’s something you’ll want to get many years out of.

Our factory-trained and NATE certified technicians have the experience to repair most brands of HVAC equipment. We will never sell you products, parts, or services you don’t need. We always keep our customers best interests in mind, and will always do what is best for you.

How To Avoid AC Repair Scams

It's an unfortunate circumstance, but we see it happen about this time every year... our industry's worst-kept secret; unskilled or even unethical air conditioning contractors seem to come out of the woodwork. You may have even seen some of the stories or “stings” recently on the evening news.

The Tell-tale Signs
Here are some of the more common signs you may be targeted by these scrupulous folks. They tend to have:

• Little or no professional brochures or information available on their products, services, guarantees or warranties
• Limited company information - no web site, or a simple one page web site
• No proof of insurance or bonding
• No BBB accreditation and/or a low grade
• Minimal longevity in the marketplace

Maintenance Increases Efficiency and Saves Money in Air Conditioning

One of the sounds of summer that homeowners like to hear is that of the air conditioning unit going on and off. The struggle to maintain a cool indoor climate often causes people to just leave the equipment on nonstop. The home stays very cool, but the bills are high. A good air conditioning service program increases the efficiency of the system, making it a valuable weapon in the war against expensive utility bills, as well as the heat.

Refrigerant

The outdoor unit contains the compressor and condenser coils. The compressor pumps refrigerant into the condenser, transforming it from gas to liquid form, expelling heat. The liquid passes through the expansion valve and begins the conversion from liquid to gas and the process is aided as the refrigerant is forced into the evaporator. As liquid evaporates, it absorbs heat and the process keeps the evaporator cool.

Has Your Air Conditioning & Heating System Reached Retirement?

Has Your Air Conditioning & Heating System Reached Retirement?
Unfortuntely, older heating and air conditioning systems do not get better with time. In fact, the federal government recommends that homeowners consider replacing air conditioner units that are more than 10 years old. That’s because heating and cooling systems have become, well... cooler, with significant advancements to save money and energy, and they are more environmentally friendly while improving comfort.

Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning, North America’s largest HVAC service brand, highlights five ways that newer systems outperform their predecessors: