Service your Air Conditioner, before summer shoots up your bills

The air conditioner is always the hardest working appliance during the summer months. For day-to-day comfort, we always rely on our cooling system be it at home or at the office. For that same reason, it’s imperative to get it serviced before it starts getting warm and humid. You can hire an air conditioning contractor to inspect your HVAC unit and service it regularly for optimum comfort every day. Since it’s a tough piece of equipment, it is engineered to withstand wear and tear but it often leads to instances where you have to maintain it. Like a car, an AC system requires regular tune-ups to run properly and efficiently.

An air conditioner unit loses about 5% of its original efficiency levels during each year of operation without regular and proper maintenance. This actually means that you may have purchased a unit with 12 SEER rating, but without servicing it regularly, it may be functioning only like a unit with 9 SEER rating. Regular servicing will make a system maintain up to 95% of its efficiency and you can also recover most of the lost efficiency if you maintain it religiously. The cost of an annual tune-up can be quickly recovered in the savings on your electricity bills and repair costs. An efficient AC system will also do a good job of dehumidifying your home or office. 

There are a few important reasons to regularly service your air conditioning unit to maintain its efficiency and working life:-

• Greater cooling comfort – Improve your AC’s overall operation by hiring a contractor to do regular service checks. A dormant air conditioner will lose the ability to produce cool air. So for comfortable indoors all summer long, have problems fixed quickly by an HVAC expert.
• Lower cooling costs – Energy costs can sky rocket during the summer months because of using the air conditioner every day. However regular maintenance can reduce energy consumption considerably. Working and cooling efficiency will increase and future problems can also be averted by servicing an AC unit.
• Minimize chance of breakdowns – Inspecting the system for problems regularly and servicing it can reduce the risk of it breaking down. It will enable the HVAC components to last longer and operate properly.
• Avoid costly repairs – Small problems in your AC unit could lead to huge repairs later on. A technician can identify issues in your system beforehand and rectify them before it becomes a major problem. That is why regular servicing is important which will save you a significant amount of energy and money in the long run. It has been estimated that more than half of all air conditioner repair calls arise due to insufficient maintenance on the part of the owner.
• Keep warranties – When having regular maintenance done, it’s mandatory to preserve warranties that come with the AC system. Future problems may not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, if you allow important service checks to fall by the wayside.
• Check utility bills – You will no longer dread the hot, summer months if you schedule routine maintenance checks. It will help in maintaining the SEER of your HVAC unit, which will result in high efficiency operation and low energy bills.

To sum it up, a complicated equipment like the air conditioner, even if the most reliable will need regular service and maintenance. This way it will benefit in various ways and recover lost efficiency. The unit will also operate efficiently, have a longer life span, increase comfort, avoid break downs and save energy.

Alternative Cooling Methods for Homes

For most homeowners, switching on the air conditioner means watching their energy bills skyrocket during summer and cringe at the thought of adding to their share of carbon footprints. According to the Energy Department in the US, air conditioners uses up to one sixth of the electricity during really hot summer days, which consumes over 43% of the power load. Cooling systems emit over half a billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, which adds to global warming. These poisonous gases also add up to 24% of sulfur dioxide, a chief ingredient found in acid rain. 

There are so many passive cooling techniques that could cut down on your home’s cooling costs every year without investing in expensive appliances or specialized installations. To keep the indoors cool and comfortable is the absolute aim for everyone at home. If you would like to cut back on your air conditioner usage, save money on energy bills and decrease your carbon footprint, then try out these tips to cool your home with less impact to the environment.

• Install ceiling fans so that cool air can circulate to every area of your home. Using a ceiling fan can cool the indoors by up to 5 degrees.
• Check for drafts in windows, doors and crawl spaces so that cool air is not lost outdoors. To help you seal the conditioned air, you can try caulking, weather stripping and insulating to all areas with slight openings.
• Install solar attic fans to decrease hot air trapped in the attic, making the home easier to cool. This will help in decreasing your energy bill by up to 10%.
• Install curtains or drapes to keep out harsh sunlight and reduce the temperature as well. If you feel the room is too dark, then you can open windows in the rooms you use for good air circulation.
• Reduce sources of humidity indoors. This results in less condensation on your air conditioner coils, thereby lowering hidden sources of heat and saving electricity. You can use exhaust fans in the bathroom/kitchen, cover pots while cooking and vent the clothes dryer to the outside.
• Reduce heat sources like electric bulbs, televisions, kitchen appliances and electric appliances. Don’t place these appliances near the cooling system as they give off heat and make the unit work extra hard to cool the indoors.
• Find alternative cooking methods like microwaving, barbequing or pressure cooking so that there is very less heat given off while cooking. The microwave generates no heat with very less energy consumption, the barbeque keeps the heat outside and the pressure cooker reduces the cooking time by half.
• Plant more trees in your garden or yard at strategic spots to keep the heat out and provide shade. Crawling vines planted on the sides of your home will help in insulation.
• Install solar screens for the windows as they keep the heat out during the hot months and can be removed in the cold months.
• Paint light colors for your home’s walls and the roof which deflects rather than absorb the heat.
• Turn off boilers and geysers in your home to stop the hot water flow as most homes don't have insulated water lines. This way you can avoid paying for air conditioning to remove the heat as a result of the hot water circulating within the walls of your home.
• Seal ducts in attics and crawl spaces using the appropriate materials by a qualified technician.

Shut off gas supply to heaters and fireplaces as the pilot light generates heat. Dampers also need to be shut so that the loss of cool air is minimized.

Should You Replace Your HVAC Blower Motor for Higher RPMs?

During the cold season, every home’s furnace takes a lot of beating and abuse as components like the blower motor is always in constant operation while warming the indoors. This is when the blower motor can become worn down internally due to age, operation and lack of lubrication, which in turn causes a major decline in hot air movement in the home’s ductwork. A practical solution to an inefficient blower motor is obviously replacement. 

Before replacing a HVAC blower motor, you need to make sure that the circuit breaker at the electrical panel which supplies power for the furnace to work needs to be shut off. The motor is normally connected to the home's main electrical supply and touching the components of the furnace with the electricity on can cause electrocution. To determine if the circuit wire is live or off, you can use a non-contact circuit tester directly on the blower motor's wiring. Then the tester should be pressed against the wires to make sure that there is no danger of electrocution in case any work is undertaken on the motor. The motor resembles a small barrel with three wires extending from its housing and is usually lodged behind the furnace's protective outer cover. Before cutting or removing the wires, you should make a note of the motor's wire color connections to the furnace. It’s also important to note that every manufacturer will have a different strategy for wire connection, so it’s imperative that you go through the furnace system’s manual before undertaking any work. 

The blower motor is fastened inside the assembly, so once the motor's wheel is located within the blower, the set screw can be removed and the motor pulled away from the blower assembly. This is the major component that must be replaced. The new motor should be installed in the reverse process before removal of the old part. The most important thing is that the new blower motor should be compatible with the blower assembly in specifications and values related to voltage, speed, horsepower, rotation direction and motor diameter of the old motor in order to function effectively. There are many who question if they can use blower motors with higher RPMs in their furnace to make it work better and more efficiently. However, most modern HVAC systems are properly designed to match the airflow through the heating coils for the expected temperature drop. Changing the CFM without knowing the design point of the coil may prove to be a really bad idea as it can negatively impact the unit's performance. Most technicians say that once you start messing with the CFM of a furnace system then it’s most likely to drop its moisture control capacity, increase noise and power consumption or even cause worse problems for the system’s working condition. 

Some of the main disadvantages of replacing a blower motor with higher RPM are as follows:-

• The functioning of the system will get too noisy
• The blower wheel is likely to self destruct
• Turning the existing wheel of the system with a higher RPM will require more horsepower. It can also draw higher amps or burn itself up.
• A HVAC blower motor should always operate in a specific CFM range that is designed based on its capacity. More airflow cannot be necessarily better, and may get worse.

Many homeowners feel that increasing the RPM of the motor will increase airflow throughout the house thereby providing a warm environment in less time. However the truth is that replacing an existing blower motor with that of a higher RPM is no big deal as the issue with more air flow can simply be addressed by added insulation and adjusting the dampers of the closer rooms.

Get the best out of your air conditioner - Tips on efficiency

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 5% of all electricity consumption is prevalent for the purpose of air conditioning commercial and residential spaces in the United States alone. The newer and modern air conditioning systems are more energy efficient and use less power than older units. So you can save a lot on electric bills and benefit the environment by switching over to the latest air conditioning units.

Here are some energy saving tips to help you make use of your air conditioner in an efficient manner.

• Size – Not many people are aware of buying the right size unit for their home or office. The area you wish to cool indoors is one of the most important factors of maintaining energy efficiency. It is not wise to install large air conditioning units for small areas and small air conditioning units for large areas, as it will consume more power and energy.
• Ratings – Energy Efficiency Ratio otherwise called EER is used to measure the energy efficiency of air conditioners. Now it’s mandatory for people to install air conditioners according to the national appliance standards. Cooling systems must have an EER rating of 10.0. According to the U.S Department of Energy, a higher rating indicates better energy efficiency.
• Installation – To maximize energy efficiency, it is imperative to install the air conditioner carefully. You also need to make sure that the unit is at level, installed in a shaded area and the drainage systems and internal mechanisms are functioning properly. This will ensure that there is no heating effect of direct sunlight on the system’s heat exchange unit.
• Location – You can install the cooling unit away from electrical appliances like television sets or lamps, since the heat from those appliances can trigger the working of the air conditioner unnecessarily and thereby use more power. So the actual location of installing an air conditioner has an impact on your energy bills and its working energy efficiency.
• Usage – Remember to switch off the unit during working hours or when you are out running errands or on a vacation. This way you can reduce the amount of time the air conditioner runs. To ensure efficient operation, you need to service and maintain the unit on a regular basis according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also install a thermostat to set the temperature accordingly in different indoor areas according to an individual’s room usage. A fan can also be used elsewhere to circulate cool, conditioned air indoors.
• Keep the filter clean – You can cut energy costs by up to 15% if you properly clean and maintain your system’s filters. A dusty and dirty filter reduces air flow and also allows contaminants to flow indoors. The unit’s filters should be examined once a month so that it can be cleaned or replaced accordingly.
• Maintain vents and ducts – The air ducts should be properly insulated especially the ones that pass through any unconditioned areas like the attic. Check for leaks or holes in the ductwork. Ask your contractor to conduct a thorough check of your vents and ducts, especially if you have a central air conditioner installed. You also need to close unused indoor spaces and make sure that there is no furniture obstructing the vents.
• Use fans for cooling – An appliance that offers supplemental cooling is the simple fan. No one says that it can replace an air conditioner but substituting it on cooler days will help you save up to 60% on energy costs. You can set the fans on high in air conditioned spaces except on days when the weather is humid. This will help in circulating cool air in all the rooms.
• Check for leaks – Check to see if there are any hot spots around the house. This help you determine if there are any leaks near openings like windows, doors and fireplace dampers. Weather stripping and caulking can be applied on doors and windows to seal any leaks.
• Set the thermostat – Setting your thermostat to the right temperature can help in cooling your indoors effectively. The right temperature would be 78 degrees Fahrenheit during hot weather conditions. This will help in reducing your cooling costs anywhere between 12 to 47 percent. You will be running your unit far less efficiently if you set it too low as it will not cool the indoors faster.
• Insulate the house – The easy way to help your wallet and the environment is to insulate your home thoroughly. Installing insulation for the attic, basement, floors, doors and walls will separate your living space from the outdoors thereby making it more comfortable to live in. You can maintain a stable temperature throughout the day and lower utility bills. There are a lot of benefits for natural light, but the sun's rays can increase the heat in your home. You can install drapes and blinds to reduce the sun’s heat from entering inside. If you do need natural light indoors, then plan on installing reflective film on windows to obstruct and block out some of the heat.

Explore different choices when you want to buy an air conditioner

Air conditioning systems comes in different varieties, styles and budgetary preferences. You can choose an air conditioning unit depending on the size required for a residence or office and the area it has to be installed in to ensure maximum efficiency and comfort, keeping in mind the price of the system itself. 

The first thing you need to remember is what type of room air conditioner you need. That factor wholly depends on the installation you're prepared to do and where you want to house it. Many homeowners feel that a central AC system will be the right choice for cooling homes and offices but they require expert installation and also come with a high price tag. Compared to a smaller window AC, they also cost more to operate. So if you need an AC unit to cool only specific rooms in a home, then a window or split air conditioner can be your best bet. Also take care not to purchase any type of system in haste without considering all your requirement and factors.

To protect your investment and also ensure that servicing and maintaining your unit in the future will not be a problem, buy only air conditioning systems that have approved R410A refrigerants. Refrigerants that contribute to the environment are replacing ozone-depleting R-22 and other HCFCs refrigerants.

Another factor to consider is to buy an AC unit based on the square footage of the area that needs to be cooled. Buying a unit that adequately cools a given area is really important and manufacturers provide options and the recommended coverage for a given model. An oversized unit is unnecessary as you will be paying more for a benefit you may not use and an undersized unit may be inadequate thus consuming more power for cooling, and increasing utility bills in the process. You need to measure the area that needs to be cooled before you shop. 

An energy efficient air conditioner that qualifies all of the above mentioned requirements will definitely save around 30% in energy costs compared to those units that don’t qualify those requirements. EER rating is also an important factor to consider as air conditioners that have been certified by the AHAM which stands for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers will carry an energy efficiency rating. The higher the EER rating, the less in energy consumption and operating costs. You can purchase an air conditioner with an EER rating of 10 or more for maximum efficiency, energy savings and lower electricity bills. 

From the models listed below, there are four major Air Conditioner types for you to choose from:

• Window-mounted unit - This type of an AC is designed to be aptly fitted into window sills. The major advantage of a window AC is that it houses all the important and necessary components like the compressor, condenser, and expansion valve/coil all in one big box. It is highly cost effective, easy to maintain and takes less effort to install.
• Wall-mounted unit – This type of AC is a little expensive than a window unit and can be installed on any part of your wall in your home or office. The advantage is that it can be fitted into the most convenient spot indoors without getting in the way of other appliances or furnishing items and merges well with the décor. It is also relatively easy to install for places with small areas and plays a huge role in saving space. Air flow can also be directed into all areas of the room with the absence of hot and cold spots. The unit functions quietly and reduces air flow resistance while providing a comfortable environment.
• Portable air conditioners – This type of AC is more expensive than a window unit, but it is versatile and can be relocated into any room that needs cooling without much effort. Some units come with multiple functions like air purification, dehumidifying, heating and cooling. For some homes and offices, these units can be the perfect choice as they are really efficient and convenient.
• Split ductless or mini air systems – This type of AC is more expensive than window or wall units, but is a great option for people who live in hot regions and need a powerful unit to cool a large indoor area. They are less intrusive than a full central unit, as the ductless function means that you don’t have to install a complex system of ducts and escape routes throughout your home or office. This system comprises of an indoor component that can be mounted on a wall and an outdoor component that can be installed next to your home. The real advantage of a ductless system is that the cooling power can be compared to a real central AC without having to renovate any of your walls or ceilings for installation.

Is it time to replace your AC unit?

This is an important question many homeowners ask when their air conditioning units have crossed over eight to ten years of usage. Old air conditioning units are probably oversized and provide inefficient energy savings and improper cooling to your home’s indoors. If your old unit is too noisy or does not cool properly, then it’s time you consider replacing it for a better model that can reduce environmental impact, improve comfort and lower energy bills. Another important fact that must be noted is that older AC units use ozone-depleting refrigerants. Newer models in the market use refrigerants that are safer and beneficial for the environment. You also need to know that if you don’t replace your old unit at the right time, it could cause serious contamination for your indoors and also encounter massive failure. This could prove to be a costly mess to clean up. So, replace your unit quickly to save money in the long run and also benefit from sustained energy efficiency. It all comes down to these three points to help you determine if you should replace your system or not.

• The life of the AC unit has exceeded 10 or 15 years of usage.
• The AC unit is very loud during operation.
• The AC has completely failed to function.
• Maintaining the AC unit has become too expensive due to its recurring problems.

If you encounter one or more of the given list of points mentioned above, then you should consider replacing your unit. When you buy a new AC unit, take care to purchase one that operates above a 10 SEER level in energy savings. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and homeowners can use this information to buy a unit that mentions 10 or above in SEER level. There is another advantage of gaining incentives when a new unit is purchase. There are many states in America that offer special incentives when you buy a high efficiency model. Federal tax credits are also made available and homeowners should take advantage of it. There are a few advantages you can enjoy if you replace your old unit and they are:-

1. New Government Standards – There are new standards set by the Federal Government for every homeowner who replaces or purchases a new AC unit with a high SEER rating. You can get a new system that cools efficiently and saves you on energy bills every month.

2. Good Return on Investment – Replacing an old unit depends on its efficiency and size. Buying a unit with a high SEER rating may prove to be expensive at present but will save you money in the long run due to its capacity to run efficiently and save on energy. 

3. Environmentally Friendly – Not many homeowners know that AC units that were purchased before the year 2010 used a refrigerant known as the R-22. This is the very same refrigerant that is causing the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer which protects the environment. Due to this, the EPA has banned manufacturers from making air conditioners with this particular refrigerant, which was responsible of releasing harmful amounts of chemicals into the air. If you buy or replace your old unit, you can do your part in protecting the environment. 

4. Reduce Maintenance Costs – An old unit will add to your electric bills and maintenance costs as well. A new unit can save up to 20% of your energy bills and prove to be an efficient cooling system during the hot weather.

5. Reduce Humidity levels – Sometimes you may feel that are some areas in your home that are really warm while there are some areas that are really cool. This is due to improper insulation, leaky ducts or faulty equipment. It may also be possible that you installed an improperly sized AC unit for your home. This in turn increases humidity levels in the home which results in improper cooling. A new unit can solve the problem as you can check if the system is of the right size for your home. You can also ask your contractor to check if your home is properly insulated and ducts are free from harmful particulates and working properly. They can also check to see if your home’s thermostat is working properly to make sure that you save on energy bills and run the system according to your family’s schedule.

The whole process may seem daunting or expensive but replacing an old unit with a new energy efficient model will be the right decision to make. However make sure that whatever unit you purchase, maintenance comes first. This will ensure that your system has a long life and cools your home efficiently for many more years to come.

Air Conditioner Inverter - Why are people talking about it!

Air conditioners have been in use for over hundreds of years now but there was no innovation which required energy efficiency since electricity was always available and cheap decades ago. About 70% of the electricity was obtained from oil which was purchased from Arab countries at an affordable rate. But the conflict in 1973 between Arab and Israel led to the increase of oil prices by over 400% and has been on the rise ever since. Electricity became a necessity and more expensive and the need to conserve it led to the upgrading of Air conditioning systems to become more energy efficient for homes and commercial purposes.

The quest to save the air conditioner led to the invention of the Air Conditioner Inverter. Air conditioners in general are known to consume maximum commercial and domestic power in all developed countries across the world. Due to that, many countries use Inverter ACs for energy efficiency and affordable electric bills. It will be worth to invest in an Air Conditioner Inverter if you are using your cooling system all year especially in hot, dry or humid climatic conditions. Some of the benefits of an Inverter AC are:

• They are 30-50% cheaper to use as consumption of energy is very less
• They achieve the desired temperature far quicker than normal units
• They function much quieter
• There are no voltage peaks from compressor
• There are no temperature fluctuations which in turn maximises comfort levels indoors
• They require low power and starting current compared to normal units

Inverter Air Conditioners are well worth the cost as they run efficiently and reduce your monthly energy costs, thereby saving you a lot in the long run. 

Merits of an Air Conditioner Inverter

There are a lot of advantages for installing an air conditioner inverter simply because of its promise of delivering precise cooling or heating power as required with low energy consumption. An Inverter AC adjusts the speed of the compressor accordingly to control the flow of gas and consume less power. Normal air conditioners without inverters deliver only a fixed amount of power and speed, which means the compressor stops at intervals to maintain the desired room temperature causing fluctuations in cooling and heating. An Inverter AC on the other hand has proper control of the temperature and the unit is programmed to adjust the capacity and eliminate fluctuations after a set temperature is attained. A normal unit also starts and stops repeatedly which causes power consumption and current to go down when operation stops and then shoot up sharply when it restarts thus leading to temperature variations and high consumption of power. However an Air Conditioner Inverter is technically and functionally superior to the non-inverter 5 star AC as it consumes less power for the same amount of cooling. Although it costs higher than a normal unit, the excess can easily be covered by the amount of money you save on energy bills. If every house and commercial establishment used the Inverter AC, imagine how much electricity can be saved everyday for that particular city and for the nation! You can probably say that millions and millions of fossil fuels can be saved for our future generations. 

So "Go Green" and buy the Inverter AC for the sake of Mother Nature and also for saving thousands of hectares from deforestation.