Air conditioners have become indispensable accessories in modern houses because they make life more comfortable. People who live in locations with harsh weather believe air conditioning systems to be a necessity since life would be quite unpleasant without them. Fortunately, technology has made it easier for consumers to obtain AC units because they’ve gotten more inexpensive.
When you have an HVAC unit, make sure to prioritize regular maintenance so that it’ll last as long as it should. Air conditioners contain many moving parts that wear out over time. Ignoring maintenance will almost certainly result in costly problems. However, it’ll also result in reduced efficiency. That’s why you need to partner with reliable companies like HVAC service in Ashburn who conduct regular maintenance on your unit to ensure it stays healthy.
Every unit component must be in excellent functioning condition for it to operate efficiently. Maintenance may undoubtedly assist with this. However, there are a few things you can do as a homeowner to improve your home’s heating and cooling efficiency. Continue reading to find out more about how you could go about this.
- Test Windows and Doors
If your doors and windows aren’t properly sealed, you’re undoubtedly wasting energy when you use an HVAC system to heat or cool your house. As a result, you should check to see if your doors and windows are properly sealed. Hold a burning incense stick or candle while checking windows and door frames for drafts. If the candle flickers, it indicates a draft. Install or replace weatherstripping or add a door sweep to correct it. Alternatively, you could consider replacing doors or windows with drafts.
- Seal Ductwork
The health of your ductwork can also affect your AC unit’s efficiency. Your AC’s ductwork refers to the pipes and vents responsible for distributing air around your house to heat or cool it. You need to ensure that there are no leaks in the ductwork because broken ductwork can allow hot air to escape. This means that hot air may end up in a place where it shouldn’t be, like your basement.
If there are any leaks in your ductwork, it’ll affect the AC’s efficiency and will lead to higher energy bills. Therefore, you must ensure to patch up any leaks in the ductwork. It’s best not to use any duct tape for this operation. Rather, contact a professional HVAC contractor to fix this for you.
- Replace Air Filter
The AC filter’s function is to clean the air that flows through the AC unit and eventually circulates throughout your house or workplace. It prevents big particles, such as debris, from entering the core of the AC unit, thereby preventing damage. Furthermore, it keeps dust, mold, and fungal spores from spreading in your home. As a result, it has a significant impact on air quality. However, if the unit becomes clogged, the AC unit must work harder and consume more energy. As a result, it’s critical to replace the air filter regularly if you want your AC unit to function efficiently.
- Use Smart Thermostats
Thermostats play a very significant role in terms of energy efficiency. Ideally, you want to program the thermostat to a temperature that isn’t too high or too low. This is so that you prevent overworking the unit (by setting a low temperature) or using too much energy unnecessarily (by setting a high temperature). Also, to save energy, the unit may need to be switched off when you’re not at home.
Generally, you should regularly adjust thermostats based on the season. But doing this manually can be tedious. Thankfully, smart thermostats allow you to control your home’s temperature even when you’re not at home. Smart thermostats also provide you additional control over your home’s heating and cooling systems. It’s a significant piece of machinery that might significantly lower your energy costs.
- Use Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are a very effective way of circulating air in your home without the AC working too hard. You can use these fans both in winter and summer. But fans are better suited to cooling or heating bedrooms as opposed to the whole house.
To generate a cooling downdraft throughout the warmer months, the fans should revolve counterclockwise. You may turn your fans clockwise in the winter to force warm air down. Many ceiling fans include a reverse setting that forces hot air down into the room, which will be useful in the winter.
- Invest In Pre-season Checkup
This is the most effective approach to keep your home’s heating and cooling system running efficiently. Having a skilled AC technician inspect your unit before the start of each season allows them to calibrate your AC unit so that it can effectively endure the subsequent season.
For example, if winter is approaching, an AC professional should examine your furnace. The same expert can also service your central air conditioning if you’re getting ready for summer. They may replace and repair device parts to keep it running well. It’ll cost you money, but it’ll be well worth it.
Conclusion
It’s critical to keep your air conditioner in good operating order because its efficiency will suffer if it’s not healthy. As a result, your energy expenses will rise. That’s why homeowners should ignore routine AC maintenance. Investing in regular AC repair may be the greatest method to optimize your home’s heating and cooling. However, there are certain things you can do to improve it, such as insulating the windows and utilizing smart thermostats.
