Homes With Air Conditioning
A century ago, nobody — especially those in notoriously hot states such as Texas and Arizona — would have imagined that the warmest months of the year could be as comfortable as they are now. Air conditioning is now more common than both garages and formal dining rooms in homes across the country, with 87% of households featuring some form of air conditioning system.
Yearly Maintenance
If you’ve read any of the other posts in our blog feed, then you know that we always recommend scheduling annual air conditioning maintenance. However, the statistics show that air conditioning maintenance is a lot like physical exams and dental cleanings — the majority of people intend to schedule it at some point, but never get around to it. Only 43% of homeowners actually follow through!
Annual Spending
No matter where you’re located, cooling your home probably consumes a significant portion of the energy you use each year. Annually, the United States spends approximately $29 billion on cooling alone, though the total amount of electricity used is only about 6% of what the country produces. This is, at least in part, due to homeowners investing in more energy-efficient systems!
Smart Thermostats
You’ve surely seen advertisements for smart thermostats, but how effective are they? On average, smart thermostats that can be programmed to work around your schedule reduce energy consumption by approximately 10%, which certainly adds up in the long run. If your monthly energy bill is $250, for instance, you could save $25 a month just by purchasing a better thermostat. If we suppose that you purchased a high-end model for $150, it would pay for itself after just six months of use!
Efficiency
If your air conditioner is more than seven to 10 years old, then you should consider purchasing a new unit in the near future. In addition to improving your overall quality of life, replacing an old and outdated air conditioner with an energy-efficient model could cut your energy consumption by up to 50%.
Filter Changes
No matter which one of our HVAC blogs you’ve read, you’ve seen us mention the importance of changing the filters in your furnace and air conditioner on a regular basis. It’s not a sales gimmick or a strategy for us to pad our maintenance bills — it’s truly a recommendation made with your interests in mind! Regular filter changes reduce the overall wear and tear on your system and can cut energy consumption by 5–15%, depending on how dirty your current filters are.
Schedule an Appointment With Quality Air Experts
We hope that today’s post has helped you learn something interesting and useful about your air conditioner. If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule air conditioning repairs, maintenance, or a new system installation, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help!
