Homeowners throughout the Gainesville, FL area are thinking about energy efficiency as we enter the cooling season. Because the cost of operating your air conditioning is a major portion of your home budget, you’re probably always looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of your AC. There are many approaches to reducing energy consumption, and in this post, we’d like to share just a handful. While we can’t control the cost of energy, we can control how we use it and how much of it we use. For more information about energy efficiency and your air conditioning system, call the Gainesville, FL AC experts at Touchstone Heating & Air today!
- Install a programmable thermostat: If you’re still using a manual thermostat to cool your home, then you may be interested to know about digital programmable thermostats. Not only is the digital display easier to read and adjust, but the programmability can cut down your energy usage significantly. You can program it to automatically turn down your AC when you normally leave for work, and automatically turn the AC back up an hour before you get home, so that you can walk into a cool, crisp living space. Such programmability allows you to balance your home comfort with energy efficiency.
- Install a zone control system: If you have a forced-air distribution system that uses the ductwork in your home, then you may have often wondered why you have to cool your downstairs kitchen in order to sleep comfortably. A zone control system uses electronically controlled dampers within your existing ductwork to control the flow of cool air, and to break your home into zones, each of which may be individually controlled. You can save energy and defuse any family arguments about home temperature with a single upgrade.
- Regularly replace the air filter: Your air filter is designed to prevent the harmful accumulation of dust and debris on the components of your system. But when it becomes dirty or clogged, then it can have an adverse effect on airflow, thus making your AC work harder and increasing its energy needs.
These are just a few ways you can improve the energy efficiency of your home during the cooling season. For more information about how you can improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system in Gainesville, FL, call the experts at Touchstone Heating & Air today!