| Your home's cooling depends on several factors | | | | with overall efficiency improvements make this |
| (shade, insulation, reflectivity and your personal | | | | well worth considering. |
| tolerance to heat). The more you can achieve the | | | | 5. Improve Air Flow - Central air conditioning |
| better your efficiency will be. We've all been | | | | systems are designed to cool the whole house so |
| taught basics but with a closer look you can easily | | | | closing the registers in unused rooms will not |
| save even more. | | | | usually save you anything. Make sure your air |
| 1. Reduce Internal Heat - humans contribute to | | | | from every supply register has an unobstructed |
| indoor heat build-up and so do our appliances, | | | | airway back to a return register. This blockage |
| entertainment gadgets, lighting and cooking | | | | can pressurize or depressurize portions of a home |
| methods. Avoid heating the oven during a hot day | | | | resulting in poor air conditioning performance. It |
| and limit your hot water usage. Turn-off the | | | | can also increase air leakage through the building |
| entertainment gadgets by using the new | | | | shell. Check to make sure ducts and registers are |
| power-saver strips created just for television, Wii, | | | | not badly bent or dirty. |
| computers and printers. | | | | 6. Failing the Air Conditioner's Efficiency Rating? |
| 2. Reduce Air Leakage - sealing ducts can save 10 | | | | This mostly occurs due to faulty installation and |
| to 25% on energy costs. They can be hard to | | | | or inadequate planning. A common problem due to |
| find so this needs to be done by a professional it | | | | inadequate planning includes low air flow, incorrect |
| is well worth the long-term savings. | | | | refrigerant charge and duct-air leakage. Periodically |
| 3. Transmission - Simple ventilation techniques can | | | | have a service call to check the refrigerant |
| help flush the heat out. Such as the occupants | | | | charge. For a satisfactory performance and |
| should open and close windows, window coverings | | | | efficiency a home central system should be within |
| at the proper time. Also turning on fans including | | | | one of the correct charge. |
| ceiling fans at the proper time to create air | | | | 7. Basic Maintenance and Service |
| movement. | | | | The difference in consumption between a |
| 4. Upgrade to a new air conditioning unit - Since | | | | well-maintained unit versus a severely neglected |
| the 1970's, newer units have an efficiency that is | | | | system can range from 10% to 30%. These |
| at least 1-1/2 to 2 times greater than the units of | | | | maintenance tasks can be performed by a skilled |
| that era. Some of the advances made include:a. | | | | technician or homeowner:a. Clean or replace filters |
| Variable-speed or a two-speed blower systemb. | | | | every 1 to 4 monthsb. Clean supply and return |
| Aluminum fins spaced closer together and | | | | registers. Straighten their fins (dirt and damage)c. |
| perforated to improve heat transfer to air.c. | | | | Clean the blower's fan blades.d. Clean evaporator |
| Improved electric motor design.d. Dual-speed | | | | coil and condensate pan every 2 to 4 years.e. |
| compressorse. Time-delay relays controlling | | | | Remove debris from around condenser.f. |
| evaporator fans. | | | | Straighten bent fins in evaporator and condenser |
| There are rebates in place making the desire to | | | | coils. |
| change even more appealing. These rebates along | | | | |