In general you’re a summer kind of person, but after getting your last energy bill, you found yourself glaring at the wood paneled air conditioner from the 1970’s and hoping for a Florida snow miracle. You’re not alone; the energy consumed by home air conditioners has doubled between the early 90’s and today, and this price tag is only growing exponentially. What’s more, snow, sleet, and low temperatures aren’t going to be visiting Florida any time soon. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things you can do to make your air conditioning more efficient. Consider the steps below:
1. Hire an AC contractor and switch to high efficiency air conditioning. You may not have noticed, but your old wood paneled contraption is woefully out of date. Modern air conditioners use up to 50% less power to achieve the same amount of cool air your old dinosaur produces. A qualified AC contractor will be able to give you the low down on the best models for your home, but switching to any high efficiency air conditioner will save you between 20% and 50% in energy costs next season.
2. Create an AC maintenance plan. A lot of people think that buying an air conditioner and installing it is all they need to do to stay cool. But if you don’t create an AC maintenance plan, your unit is liable to break or wear out. For instance, did you know that if you don’t clean out your unit’s air filter every few months, your air conditioner becomes clogged and less efficient? Your AC contractor can help you get acquainted with your new unit and help you create an AC maintenance plan that works with your schedule and will help avoid costly AC repair down the road.
3. Replace your HVAC unit once every 12 years. It might be helpful to think of an air conditioner like a car. No matter how careful you are with it, after about a decade or so, the parts start to fail. This is why we recommend changing your air conditioning unit once every 12 years or so. Running an old or inefficient air conditioner isn’t just about saving money; it’s about safety. Faulty air conditioning contributes to fully one third of home fires each year, so changing your unit when it’s due will help you avoid becoming a statistic.
Snow will probably never come to Florida. But that doesn’t mean you have to be bitter and miserable about the heat. Please comment below with any HVAC tips we might have missed, and be sure to recommend any good AC contractors in the area.