Cooling

13 Jun 2021 Maintenance air conditioning, Cooling 0

How To Improve Air Conditioning Efficiency

House heating and cooling can easily add up to a significant part of your monthly utility bills. Estimations from the Department of Energy show that maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature can cost more than 50% of all utility expenses.

This means that Canadians spend a lot of money for the energy required to use their central air conditioning systems.

This article aims to provide you with a series of easy and almost free methods to improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system, in order to enjoy a comfortable indoor temperature while also keeping tabs on the expenses.

Here are the top right no-cost tips for air conditioning maintenance.

Thanks to this advice, you’ll be able to keep your air conditioning system healthy even during the hottest period of the year.

I should start of by saying, it’s very important your central air conditioner system is properly sized from the get-go. If the system is over or undersized then you have a much more complex issue at hand. But let’s assume it is sized properly, here are some tips.

Keep your outdoor condenser unit clean.

This unit will perform at its best when it is clean and free from debris. If you don’t know how to clean the condenser, click here to see an explanatory video that will teach you everything you need to know to do this by yourself. Should you need a more thorough, in-depth cleaning of your outdoor condenser, you’ll need to hire an air conditioning repair service professional.

Vacuum the indoor vents and keep them clear from any obstacles or debris.

By vacuuming dust and dirt from indoor air supply vents, you ensure a steady airflow through your air conditioning system. Also, make sure that no toys, blinds or any type of clutter are blocking those vents.

Set your thermostat a few degrees higher during summer (and lower during winter).

Even as little as 2 – 3 degrees Celsius in temperature adjustments can help you save a lot of energy, and therefore lower your monthly bills (this applies to both summer and winter). If your system has a programmable thermostat, you’ll be able to automatically adjust the temperature for different times of the day and situations.

When you know you’re going to be out for half day, you want to adjust the temperature by several degrees in order to save energy.

Never place lamps or other heat sources nearby the thermostat.

Should its sensors detect hot air, it will understand that your home needs more cooling, and therefore it will instruct the system to work harder and for a longer time than it actually should. Keep curtains and blinds closed during the day to prevent the heat from the sun from warming indoor air. If you don’t really need a lot of light, there’s no point in allowing direct sunlight to enter your home.

Make sure your drain line is always clean.

The indoor cooling coil features a drain. Most often, this drain is located above the furnace in your basement. Keeping it clean throughout the whole summer is an easy thing to do. All you need is to flush one cup of chlorine bleach down the drain and then rinse it with plenty of water. Keeping this drain clean prevent blockages that might result in your basement taking water.

If possible, avoid using your oven or your dryer during the hottest time of the day.

These appliances will add warm air into your home, and therefore cause your air conditioning system to work harder to keep a constant temperature.

Properly insulate any exposed ductwork and make sure it always stays properly sealed.

This is how you can prevent conditioned air from leaking. If you notice leaks, try to fix them with UL 181-rated sealing tape, but make sure you hire a professional to fix them properly by the time of the next maintenance inspection.

You don’t need to spend a small fortune to keep your air conditioning system in perfect condition. All you need to do is to understand how it works and what the role of each of its parts is. The above tips can help you make the most HVAC efficiency out of your investment in a reliable air conditioning system. They can also help you decrease your maintenance costs and save money in the long run.

4 Jun 2021 Maintenance Cooling, Heating, HVAC System 0

How to Choose the Right HVAC System

Selecting a new HVAC system and let alone buying one, is a tough decision, considering it takes careful planning and budgeting. After all, the new HVAC system will be one of the bigger investments you will ever make. That’s why it’s crucial to talk to someone who is in this business and who can give you an honest recommendation.

As for us, we have decided to write an article on how to choose the right HVAC system and give you a general idea of things you should focus on.

Heat pump vs. furnace

As you already know, furnaces run on oil or gas, and if your property is connected to a gas line, then a furnace is an energy-efficient option to keep your home warm during the winter months. However, this is a single-purpose system, running only like a heater. That’s why a furnace is great for keeping the home warm during winter.

But what happens when you need your home cooled down in the summer? In that case, many homeowners combine furnaces with AC, meaning you have to invest in two systems.

When it comes to heat pumps, they serve as two systems in one, and you can use them for cooling and heating. The heat pump works by moving air within your home and, in that way, alters the temperature. This unit will pull heat from the air outside to keep your house warm when the winter comes.

On the other hand, during the summer months, you can reverse the function of heat pumps. It basically removes hot air from your home and sends it outside.

Why should you choose a heat pump?

Besides acting as a cooling and heating unit, there are many benefits linked to heat pumps.

Energy – efficient

Even though the majority of units run on electricity, heat pumps are known as low-energy consumers. However, keep in mind that all models have two rating systems, HSPF, and SEER. That’s why when choosing a heat pump, make sure that the HSPF rating is above 8.5 and SEER above 15.

Multi-stage system

A single-stage system permits only one cooling or heating output, which means it’s either on or off. Based on your home needs, you can choose a system to be set to different cooling and heating strengths. Keep in mind that two-stage systems are most common, and they allow high and low options for either cooling or heating.

For instance, homeowners can run a heat pump at the highest heating stage during harsh winter months or choose a low setting during summer.

Keep in mind that these systems require higher initial costs, but they are worth it.

Variable speed pump

This unit is currently one of the most attractive options on the market. Compared to the previous model, a variable speed motor allows homeowners to decrease or increase their output based on their cooling or heating needs.

As the name implies, this system runs at varying speeds and gives you control over your indoor comfort.

What to consider when choosing a new heating and cooling system?

In the previous sections, we discussed types of heating and cooling units. But, let us now broaden this topic even more and focus on additional features of new heating and air conditioning systems.

Size

This is one of the common mistakes among homeowners. They choose the wrong size of the HVAC unit, which makes them spend more money on utility costs. That’s why you should measure the width and length of your home or living area to determine the right square footage. You can also contact a local technician to help you with this.

Maintenance

Every HVAC unit requires an annual checkup to get it ready for winter or summer. These inspections involve cleaning indoor and outdoor components, as well as replacing air filters. For that reason, it’s important to choose an HVAC unit that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance.

Design

Before you order a new HVAC system, check the size of your home, and see if it already has centralized ductwork. This will help you decide whether you have enough space for outdoor and indoor components.

Additional features

Besides the cooling aspect of the HVAC unit, you can also add other features like smart controls, which will allow you to control heating and cooling from your home.