Reduce Your Energy Bills With a High-Efficiency Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning System
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are common throughout the United States. In order to maintain a home’s interior environment at a comfortable level, approximately 48% of a household’s overall energy usage is for this purpose. Given this, it’s important to schedule regular maintenance appointments and take measures to maximize energy usage, which includes having high-efficiency systems installed.
Air Conditioning Unit Maintenance
When air conditioning units are well-maintained, they will usually last for ten to 15 years. In addition to scheduling regular maintenance appointments, it’s important to change the air filters on a regular basis. On average, experts recommend changing these every month or at least once every three months. The frequency with which these filters are changed will depend on several factors. This includes various environmental conditions and whether or not a household has pets. These maintenance requirements, as well as tips for hiring an air conditioning company, are available from local air conditioning experts.
HVAC System Maintenance
It’s important to follow an HVAC manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines to ensure that a system operates optimally. According to the manufacturers, these systems need to receive maintenance on an annual basis. If a system hasn’t been performing adequately, then it’s likely due to an improper installation. HVAC contractors report that this can decrease a unit’s efficiency as much as 30%. Furthermore, ducts need to be properly sealed and insulated so they don’t leak or experience other issues. When this is taken care of, it can improve efficiency up to 20%.
How High-Efficiency Heating Systems Are Defined
High-efficiency furnaces are determined by their annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings. Currently, the minimum AFUE rating requirement is 80%. There are furnaces available, however, that possess much higher ratings. When a furnace has AFUE ratings of 90% to 95%, for example, these are labeled as “high efficiency.”
How to Reduce Heating Costs
An effective way to reduce heating costs is by lowering thermostats. Households can save roughly five percent on their energy costs when they lower their thermostat by just two degrees. Heating costs can be reduced even more when thermostats are lowered an additional two or more degrees. It’s important to note that as many as 75% of the calls received by during the winter for a lack of heat are usually the result of poor maintenance.
The Benefits of Hiring an HVAC Specialist
If your HVAC system hasn’t been inspected recently, it’s important to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience. Since there are a variety of air conditioning options, an HVAC specialist will be able to provide you with more details. You may, for example, be interested in upgrading your existing unit due to seasonal changes.
There are a variety of tips for hiring an air conditioning company. Since you want someone that can handle your entire system, you want to choose a reliable company with experience and a positive reputation. Tips for hiring an air conditioning company include making sure that their contracts are specialists.