As soon as the weather begins to cool, you will probably want to start thinking about some steps that you can take to get your energy bills back under control. Even if you are only occasionally using your AC, there are a handful of tricks that you can use to further slash your energy bills and save some extra money.
If you want to use your AC as efficiently as possible, then your ceiling fans need to be spinning in the right direction at all times. When your AC is on and you want to cool the house down, then you should make sure that your ceiling fans are spinning counterclockwise. When a fan is spinning counterclockwise, it is going to disperse the cold air and bring the overall temperature in the room down.
Another simple step that you can take to reduce your heating and cooling bills is to invest in a programmable thermostat. With one of those devices, you can make sure that your air conditioning system is only being used when it is actually needed. When the house is empty or everyone is asleep, the programmable thermostat can slowly bring the indoor temperature up a few degrees in order to save money.
Even if you have a relatively new HVAC unit, it must still be serviced at least once or twice a year. Those service calls will keep your climate control system running as efficiently as possible, and that is going to save you quite a bit of money in the long run. During a service call, an HVAC tech will be able to clean the coils, inspect the ducts for any signs of blockage, and double-check the thermostat’s accuracy.
Just because you aren’t going to be using your air conditioner as much doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t replace the filters. Quite a few airborne contaminants could get trapped in your filter during the cooler months, and that is going to have a huge impact on the efficiency of the system. As a general rule, HVAC filters should be replaced at least once every three to four weeks.
In addition to these few tips, you might also want to consider replacing your HVAC unit if it is more than 15 or 20 years old. Older units are notoriously inefficient, and you could potentially drop your monthly energy bills by a significant amount when you replace the outdoor condenser.
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