The Simple Guide To Saving Big Money With Your Air Conditioner

Depending on where you business or home are located a air conditioner might be a necessary evil and something that you just have to use and don't have a choice about. However there are some simple things that you can do to cut costs and save a good deal of money. Below you will find some simple to follow steps for getting the most form your air conditioner.

Always On? Air conditioning doesn't always have to be on. The first thing you have consider when maintaining an air-conditioning unit is that it doesn't have to always be on. You can schedule the air-conditioning to be turned on during peak hours when the weather is too hot. If you have more than one unit you could rotate them to function depending on their need.

During some parts of the day you only need one or two units to keep the building comfortably cool. And during noontime, you may need all of your units open. Just make sure you study a workable schedule that optimizes the use of your air-conditioning units.

Regular Maintenance Regular maintenance can greatly increase the performance of your air-conditioning units. While regular maintenance may seem like a cost increasing method, it actually reduces the cost of operations for your air-conditioning units. This is because air-conditioning units that aren't well maintained don't perform as well as those that are.

A decrease in the air conditioners performance means it eats more electricity just to arrive at the same temperature than it would normally need. That is why cleaning and maintaining an air-conditioning unit is vital to saving money on their use.

Turn Off Early Always turn off the air-conditioning unit 30 minutes before leaving the building. Some people turn off their air-conditioning units just as they are about to leave the building. The fact is, you can turn off your air-conditioning units a good while before you leave. That is because it takes about 30 minutes for the temperature of the room to go back to being uncomfortable.

The Right Air Conditioner Choose the right kind of air-conditioning. Choosing the right kind of air-conditioning for your room and saving money on electricity costs are synonymous with each other. If you are trying to air-condition a small room, then a smaller horsepower air-conditioner would be sufficient. If you install the larger more energy hungry air-conditioner, you would spend more than you need.

It is important to keep the cost of your air conditioning habits in mind and always try to think about ways you can save money on it's usage. Simple turning it off 30 minutes before leaving work for the day and not using it in the morning can help save a good deal of money. Also making sure that the unit you own fits well with your needs and specific requirements can be a huge help.

For more great information about your money and money saving tips check out Best Guides Money . Including an extensive section on Money Saving Tips

Updating Your HVAC System

The shock of skyrocketing utilities bills may have you thinking about upgrading your HVAC system?. and rightly so, because there is no chance the fuel costs are going to go down.

The newer heating and air conditioner systems are much more efficient than older units and offer significant long-term energy savings. The Government has mandated that any cooling units should have a SEER rating of at least 13 starting in 2006 and this is good, because a twenty-year unit may have a SEER rating of only 7 or 8. However, for real savings you should look at your whole home as an energy eating beast that needs to be put on a diet. This includes repairing air leaking windows and door seals

It does little good to replace an older HVAC system and expect great reduction in utility bills, if you don?t attend to the areas where you are losing energy. New HVAC systems are expensive and the temptation may be to just install a new high efficiency furnace and air-conditioning system and hope for the best. The fact is, the reduction in utility bills may be disappointing because you may have overlooked a major player in the whole HVAC system?. like the ductwork.

A poorly designed, leaking and under insulated ductwork system can waste 30 percent or more of the money you pay to run your heating and cooling system.and nullify any gain you might realize by installing a new high efficiency system. Many duct systems are poorly insulated and leak conditioned air into un-conditioned attics and crawl spaces. I commonly find disconnected ductwork during my home inspections.

When ducts leak, conditioned air can be forced out unsealed joints and lost. In addition, also un-conditioned air can also be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. Attic temperature can be very high in the summer and cold in the winter?so, any attic air that enters your system through un-sealed duct joints will have to be cooled in the summer and heated in the winter, this increases the load on your system and increases your energy bill.

Surprisingly an older home may have a much better designed duct system than a new home and may only need a leak check and insulation upgrade. Newer homes on the other hand may be victim of cost cutting measures and poorly designed duct systems. The use of flex duct has grown in popularity because ease of installation and the high cost of shop made sheet metal ducts. Flex ducts even installed properly are a poor substitute for well designed properly insulated sheet metal ducts. It is common practice to make plenums and coil boxes out of taped together duct board.

Be sure to include an evaluation of your ductwork system in your plans to upgrade your HVAC system. There is no use in exhausting valuable conditioned air to the great outdoors through leaks and worn-out duct insulation. If your duct system needs an overhaul, you might want to consider a high velocity delivery system that uses smaller PVC pipe ducts. These high velocity systems are much easier to install and insulate. The bottom line on a HVAC system upgrade for maximum efficiency must include more than just the new equipment. Don?t forget about the duct work and include it into your budget.

Jim McDonald is a retired contractor and a licensed home inspector

jim@getinfoweb.com