Summer has come to Baltimore, Maryland, and air conditioners are the best way to escape the heat. To keep your house cool all summer long, it’s important to do your part in maintaining your system’s efficiency. Target these three threats to your air conditioner’s summer energy efficiency in order to cut utility costs and guarantee a cool home this summer.
Air Leaks
Air leaks can allow conditioned air to escape your home and hot air to enter. They can happen in your duct network, around windows and doors, and in under-insulated areas of your home, such as attics. Those leaks risk placing more strain on your HVAC unit and reducing its energy efficiency.
Seal leaks around windows with fresh caulk and around doors with weatherstripping. It may also be worthwhile to add some extra insulation to an unfinished attic. For leaks inside ductwork, be sure to call an HVAC professional to inspect the system and address any issues. Sealing leaks will help you avoid unexpectedly high energy bills.
Inefficient Cooling Habits
It might be tempting to beat the heat with extremely cool temperatures indoors. But the further the temperature inside your home is from the temperature outside, the harder your system works, the more strain it experiences, and the more its energy efficiency can drop. When possible, program your thermostat to around 75 degrees while you’re home and closer to 80 while you’re away. When it’s cool enough outdoors, give your system a break by opening your windows and letting in fresh air.
Lack of Professional Maintenance
Without proper, regular maintenance, your HVAC system might struggle to do its job cooling your home. When it’s hot outside, your system must compensate to produce cool air inside, taking a toll on its efficiency over time. If you don’t have a professional maintenance check-up before the summer, small issues risk turning into bigger issues such as added strain and possible breakdowns. Be sure to schedule professional maintenance to inspect your system before it really heats up out there.
Keep your home cool this summer by protecting your AC unit’s efficiency. If you’re worried about any of these threats to your air conditioner’s summer energy efficiency, schedule a professional HVAC maintenance appointment by calling Griffith Energy Services at 888-474-3391 today.
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