How to Improve the Efficiency of Your Home Cooling Setup

Effectively cooling a home throughout the spring, summer and fall months can prove rather costly, even for the most well-to-do homeowners. Furthermore, people who hail from areas that receive hot weather all year long are liable to feel the sting of high cooling costs year-round. Unbeknownst to many homeowners, their home cooling setups are lacking in efficiency – and more often than not, the solutions to such problems are much easier to implement than one might think. Anyone looking to improve the efficiency of their home cooling setup and save some money in the process will be well-served by the following pointers.

Invest in Energy-Efficient Doors and Windows

We lose quite a bit of cool air through our doors and windows, regardless of whether they’re opened or closed. Since many homes are equipped with standard-grade doors and windows, it’s no surprise that cool air loss is a consistent problem for countless households. Unsurprisingly, this facilitates the need for your central A/C system to work even harder, thereby expending more energy and increasing your utility costs. 

This is where energy-efficient doors and windows can really come in handy. True to their name, these doors and windows are composed of thick materials through which cool air is likely to have a hard time escaping. Additionally, many energy-efficient windows contain multiple panes, ensuring that air has to travel through several layers of barriers before it’s able to escape your residence. In essence, these doors and windows are designed to minimize the amount of air that’s able to leave your home, as well as the amount of outside air that’s able to enter. 

Many people are understandably hesitant to invest in energy-efficient doors and windows given how much they cost in comparison to standard doors and windows. While wanting to save money is understandable, it’s important to realize that these doors and windows are investments. Taking a small financial hit in the short term can pay off in the form of reduced utility costs down the line. 

Install Ceiling Fans Throughout Your Home

Dependable ceiling fans can also be a boon to the efficiency of your home cooling apparatus. For starters, once their blades have been adjusted to spin counterclockwise, ceiling fans can produce downward-flowing cool breezes. Secondly, well-placed ceiling fans can complement the efforts of your air conditioning system by efficiently distributing the cool air it produces all over your residence. Furthermore, whenever outdoor temps become comfortably cool, you can give the A/C a break, open some windows and allow your ceiling fans to distribute the naturally cool air from outside throughout your entire home.  

Have Your Air Conditioning System Serviced Every Year

A high-quality air conditioning system represents a sizable investment. Considering how much a reliable system typically costs, it’s in your best interest to get the highest possible return on your investment – and in order to do this, you’ll need to commit to annual service visits. Having your A/C system inspected, cleaned and serviced by a knowledgeable heating and cooling tech at least once a year can help stave off a host of potential problems and maximize the lifespan of your system. Yes, annual service visits will cost you money – but not nearly as much as you’d have to spend on the heavy-duty repairs such visits help prevent.  

Have Problems Fixed Posthaste

While annual service visits can go a long way in keeping your A/C system running smoothly, you’re still likely to encounter the occasional issue. When this happens, make a point of having the problem(s) taken care of by professionals in a timely manner. Letting A/C issues – even seemingly small ones – linger for long periods stands to reduce the lifespan of your system and pave the way for pricey repairs. For example, if the blower works with the AC but not heat, you should have your central air system looked at as soon as possible. 

If you live in a part of the country that’s known for brutally hot summers or receives warm weather year-round, home cooling costs are likely a consistent thorn in your side. Depending on the size of your residence, regularity of A/C usage and local weather patterns, a sizable portion of your monthly income may be spent on keeping your residence comfortably cool. So, if you’re interested in stepping up your home cooling game and saving yourself a significant sum, put the measures discussed above to good use.  

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