Countdown to Cool – Is Your Home Ready for Summer?

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating & cooling. So making smart decisions about your home’s air conditioning and ventilating can have a big effect on your utility bills – and your comfort. Consider taking the steps below to ensure your home is ready for the summer.

• Change your air filter regularly. Dirt and neglect are the top causes of cooling system inefficiency and failure. To ensure efficient system operation, it’s important to perform routine maintenance. Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (summer & winter). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every three months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool – wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system.

• Tune up your HVAC equipment. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating & cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Proper maintenance by a qualified technician is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent problems. Most contractors become busy once summer and winter set in, so it’s best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall. Typical maintenance check-ups should include: a check of thermostat settings to ensure the system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away; tightening of all electrical parts and measuring of all voltage and current on motors; lubrication of all moving parts to reduce friction in motors that can increase the amount of electricity you use; an inspection of the condensate drain because plugged drains can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels; and a check of the system controls to ensure proper and safe operation.

During the spring some specific things should be checked to ensure your unit is ready for cooling season.

Clean the evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils – dirty coils reduce the system’s ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer.

Check your central air conditioner’s refrigerant level and adjust if needed. Too much or too little refrigerant will make your system less efficient.

Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system’s efficiency by up to 15 percent.

• Ensure your HVAC equipment is properly installed and sized. Improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent. Installing the right size equipment for your home is essential to getting the best performance and comfort. Many homeowners believe that bigger is better when buying a new heating & cooling system. But in reality, a system that is too large will not keep your home comfortable because of frequent on/off cycling. Incorrect sizing can also put stress on system components and shorten equipment life. To ensure proper sizing your HVAC contractor should provide a copy of the home’s heat gain/loss calculations for your records.

• Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.

• Seal ducts. Ducts are used to distribute conditioned air throughout houses with forced-air heating & cooling systems. In typical houses, about 20 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts. The result is an ineffective HVAC system, higher utility bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.

First, focus on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house. Also make sure that the connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls and ceiling. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork.

• Add insulation. Insulation keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There are several common types of insulation – fiberglass (batt & blown), cellulose, rigid foam board and spray foam. When correctly installed with air sealing, each type of insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills during the hottest and coldest times of the year. Insulation performance is measured by R-value – its ability to resist heat flow. To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is usually in the attic. A quick way to see if you need more insulation is to look across your uncovered attic floor. If your insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists, you probably need to add more. The recommended insulation level for most attics is R-38 or about 12 to 15 inches, depending on the type of insulation.

• Look for and seal hidden air leaks. Be sure to look for and seal air leaks before you install insulation because it performs best when air is not moving through or around it. Many air leaks and drafts are easy to find because they are easy to feel – like those around windows and doors. But holes hidden in attics, basements and crawlspaces are usually bigger problems. Sealing these leaks with caulk, spray foam or weather stripping will have a great impact on improving your comfort level and reducing utility bills.

Homeowners are often concerned about sealing their houses too tightly; however, this is very unlikely in many older homes. A certain amount of fresh air is needed for good indoor air quality. There are specifications that set the minimum amount of fresh air needed for a house.

For more information about low-cost and no-cost energy efficiency improvements you can make to your home, visit westflorida.coop and click on the Together We Save and Conserve 101 links or contact a co-op representative at (800) 342-7400.
Source: www.energystar.gov