Now that we are in the midst of the 2016 summer season, the air conditioners are back to work and some are working overtime. We recently serviced a residential air conditioner in Lake Norman that prompted this post.
There are things home owners can do to assist in the cooling of their residence while reducing the work load of the A/C unit, thus saving money. Efficiency is the key, keeping the unit at optimal performance in a premium environment is always a benefit. Here are some tips every home owner can do to help keep their dwelling cool this summer.
Exterior Windows: this may sound simple, but keeping windows closed and making sure they have a good seal helps a lot. The warmer outside air will enter into the home thru the cracks around windows which demand more cooling from the unit, multiply that by all the windows in a home and the cost may be astonishing. Sealing the windows will save money.
Exterior Doors: same as the windows, but since these get used more often they’re more important. As we open and close doors, the impact can loosen the door frame and create cracks that allow warmer air to enter your home. Seal the doors when you seal the windows.
Constant vs. Variable A/C Settings: this is a debate that will live forever. The rate of heat flow into the house is proportional to the temperature difference. If you leave the house for an hour with the AC off then come back and turn it on, it will need to expel the heat that has entered the house in the past hour. But if the AC was on during that hour, even more heat would have entered the house during that time because the house is cooler. So the work done by the AC which is left on for an hour is larger than the work needed to restore the temperature after being off for an hour.
Air Filters: when to change the air filter is another debate that can last to infinity, the truth is that it depends on the filter installed and the amount of filtering done. A high quality filter will last longer than a low quality, so what you purchase directly affects the life of the filter. Air filters keep dirt, dust and other damaging particles out of your HVAC system. We recommend higher quality filters and regular replacement.
Wes Stevens
704-664-2665 (COOL)
704-664-4328 (HEAT)
Air Dynamics MS, LLC
