Anyone who lives in Austin knows spring and summer months can bring about warm and even super hot and humid weather during the transition from spring to summer. Naturally you want your A/C to work as efficiently as possible, so you can enjoy a comfortable home without paying a small fortune on monthly energy bills. Our HVAC professionals have a few tips to help you keep costs down without melting during the spring and summer heat.
Make use of those ceiling fans. While they don’t cool the temperature of the room, what they do is circulate the cool air so that it feels more comfortable to your skin. On days that aren’t too horribly warm, a ceiling fan may be all you need to feel comfortable. Even better, when it IS super hot you can turn the A/C up a couple of degrees and still feel just as comfortable in the room by using the ceiling fan. Energy savings and comfort!
Don’t set the temperature on your thermostat to 70 degrees. Sure, it may feel super cool on those hot days or nights, but do you really need it that cool? Most people can tolerate 76 or 78 degrees, especially with ceiling fans running. When you’re at work or school, raise the temperature two or three degrees to make your system even more efficient without a noticeable difference to your comfort. Today’s “smart” systems make it possible to control your A/C from wherever you are, so you can take it down to the normal temperature a few minutes before you arrive home.
Change the air filter! We’ve repeated this time and time again, but many homeowners just don’t think about it. When your air filter is clogged with dust, dirt, pollen, pet dander or other debris what happens? Your air conditioner has to work harder to keep your family comfortable as the conditioned air can’t circulate as it should. Check your air filter every month, and change it at least every one to three months.
Realize that your cooling system won’t last forever. In most cases, an HVAC system lasts about 10 to 15 years. If you’ve had yours for eight or 10 years it may be time to upgrade one of the newer models, which are far more efficient than those from 10 or 20 years ago.
At Schneider Mechanical we provide Austin-area residents with the best in equipment, service and more. We understand that staying cool in hot and humid weather is important – but efficiency and affordability are just as essential. For expert installation, repair or maintenance give our central Texas HVAC contractors a call today!
