| It costs you more money and uses more energy | | | | efficiency of your home. Changing or upgrading |
| to heat and cool your home than any other | | | | one system, without considering the other factors |
| system in your home. Typically, 44% to 50% of | | | | will usually result in some improvement, but may |
| your utility bills pays for heating and cooling your | | | | not deliver the maximum possible benefit. |
| home. | | | | If you're building a new villa, or considering a |
| Regardless of the type of home comfort | | | | major remodel or system upgrade, consider an |
| systems you have in your house, you can save | | | | Integrated Systems approach. It may cost a little |
| money and increase comfort by properly | | | | more now, but will undoubtedly save you a bundle |
| maintaining and upgrading your equipment. | | | | over time. Our skilled engineers and technicians will |
| Keep in mind that an energy efficient air | | | | look at the big picture when designing a solution |
| conditioner alone will not have as great an impact | | | | for your home. |
| on your energy bills as using an approach that | | | | Conduct a Home Energy Audit |
| involves the entire house. If you combine proper | | | | The place to begin when evaluating your home's |
| equipment maintenance and upgrades with | | | | overall energy efficiency and deciding how to |
| appropriate insulation, weatherisation and | | | | reduce consumption and costs is with a Home |
| thermostat settings, you can reduce your energy | | | | Energy Audit. This takes into consideration much |
| bills by up to 50%. | | | | more than just your heating and cooling systems, |
| General Cooling Tips: | | | | and will give you a benchmark from which to |
| * Use house fans. House fans help cool your | | | | make decisions and measure your energy saving |
| home by circulating cool air throughout the house. | | | | progress. |
| They are most effective when the outside air | | | | Here are some of the heating & cooling |
| temperature is cooler than the inside and when | | | | factors your audit should take into consideration: |
| operated at night. An attic fan can blow away hot | | | | * Insulation in walls, floors, and attic. |
| air that accumulates in the attic. This can go a | | | | * Vapor Barriers in walls |
| long way to help the efficiency of your air | | | | * Quality of Windows - Single or double pane |
| conditioning system. | | | | * Heat loss around doors and windows |
| * Set your thermostat as high as comfortably | | | | * Quality of insulation in doors |
| possible. By maintaining a minimum difference | | | | * Integrity of ductwork "- Any leaks |
| between indoor and outdoor temperatures, you'll | | | | * Cleanliness of ductwork |
| lower your overall cooling bill. | | | | * Use of "passive" solar energy |
| * Don't reduce your thermostat setting to a | | | | * Use of curtains and other window coverings to |
| colder temperature than normal when you turn on | | | | prevent heat loss |
| your air conditioner. This will not cool your home | | | | * Efficiency of heating and cooling systems - |
| any faster and could result in excessive cooling | | | | Condition of filters, etc. |
| and unnecessary expense. | | | | Consider Purchasing an Annual Maintenance |
| * Set the fan speed on high, except in humid | | | | Agreement |
| weather. When it's humid, set the fan speed on | | | | You've heard the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't |
| low. | | | | fix it?" Well that doesn't apply to your air |
| * Consider ceiling fans to help spread the cooled | | | | conditioner any more than it does to your |
| air more effectively through your home without | | | | automobile. However, when your system is |
| greatly increasing your power use. | | | | operating properly, it is easy to forget. Regular |
| * Keep lamps and TV sets away from your air | | | | maintenance will save you the time money and |
| conditioning thermostat. | | | | headaches of premature system failures and |
| * Shade air-conditioning units by planting trees or | | | | major repairs. It will ensure that your system is |
| shrubs, but make sure you do not block the | | | | always working at peak efficiency and help you |
| airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses up to | | | | avoid excessive energy costs. |
| 10% less electricity than one operating in the sun. | | | | Make sure your Air Conditioner is properly sized |
| * Close shades or curtains on east, south, and | | | | Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better - A bigger room |
| west-facing windows during the hours when the | | | | air-conditioning unit won't necessarily make you |
| sun's intensity is at its peak. Open curtains and | | | | feel more comfortable during the hot summer |
| windows during early morning and overnight hours | | | | months and will most likely perform less efficiently |
| when the air outside the home is cooler. | | | | and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized |
| * Turn off the air conditioner if the house (or | | | | unit. Room units work better if they run for |
| air-conditioned rooms) will be unoccupied for an | | | | relatively long periods of time as opposed to being |
| extended period. Use a programmable thermostat | | | | constantly switched on and off. The longer running |
| (link to product page) to turn Air off and on | | | | time an air conditioner is allowed to maintain, the |
| automatically when you know the house will be | | | | easier it is for the unit to hold a more constant |
| unoccupied. | | | | room temperature. Running longer also allows air |
| Here are a few more steps you can take to | | | | conditioning units to remove more moisture from |
| substantially improve your home's energy | | | | the air, which reduces humidity and increases the |
| efficiency. | | | | comfort level in the room. |
| Take a Holistic Approach to Total Home Energy | | | | Check specifications carefully when choosing the |
| Conservation | | | | right air conditioner for your space. Central |
| To achieve the maximum in total home comfort | | | | air-conditioning systems also require proper sizing. |
| and energy savings, we recommend that you | | | | Professionals, however, should perform the sizing |
| step back and look at the big picture of energy | | | | of your central air system. |
| consumption in your villa. The fact is, your total | | | | Also, do not use the system's central fan to |
| home comfort and efficiency is the product of | | | | provide circulation. Instead, use circulating fans in |
| many systems: heating, cooling, lighting & | | | | individual rooms. Make sure you set the fan of |
| electrical, plumbing and possibly others working | | | | your central air system to shut off at the same |
| together. | | | | time of your cooling unit (compressor). |
| It is the interplay between these systems, | | | | Use an Air Conditioner with a high Efficiency |
| combined with the size, age, physical features and | | | | Rating |
| location of your home, and even your lifestyle, | | | | Select a room air conditioner that has an A rating |
| that combine to produce the total energy | | | | or 10 or higher. |