Wednesday, July 20, 2011

South Florida Energy Saving Tips for Your Air Conditioner

In South Florida, over half of your total energy bill is contributed to cooling your home. With so much money and energy going “out the window”, it’s a good idea to use your South Florida air conditioner as efficiently as possible. Regular maintenance and following a few easy tips can help your air conditioner to run more efficiently and save you money on your electric bill.

Change That Dirty Filter!

You should be checking your filter regularly - every month.  If the filter looks dirty after one to three months, change it. A South Florida air conditioning service can change the filter. The filter definitely needs to be changed after three months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep your house, wasting electricity. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or causing the unit to fail.

Schedule Yearly Maintenance for Your Air Conditioner

Get yearly maintenance from your local South Florida air conditioning service. This will help to diagnose and prevent major problems, keeping your air conditioner running efficiently for a longer time.

Get a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. If your family is at work and school during the day, you can program your air conditioning unit accordingly to run more efficiently and save you up to $180 every year in energy costs.

Seal your heating and cooling ducts

Ducts that move central air conditioner can be a source of energy waste. Sealing and insulating ducts in the attic, crawlspace, basement, or garage can improve the efficiency of your cooling system by over 20 percent.