Don't Let Your Air Conditioner Hog Your Home's Energy

If your Auburn, AL, home is outfitted with an air conditioner that is more than ten years old, it may be hogging an excess amount of energy. Older air conditioners are much less efficient than today's newest models. You may be surprised to learn how much energy your older air conditioner is wasting every time it cycles. By taking action or upgrading to a newer system, you could enjoy better comfort and lower utility bills.

How Much Energy Air Conditioners Use

The amount of energy used by an air conditioning system varies by its capacity, condition, the weather conditions and the composition of the home in which it is installed. A 2.5 ton capacity central air conditioning system uses 3500 kilowatts per hour of continuous use when the system is in good working order and has a clean filter. A dirty air filter reduces the system's efficiency by 5 to 15 percent. Energy consumption also increases when humidity levels are high and when there are air leaks within the home that allow hot air to infiltrate the living spaces.

Making Your Air Conditioner More Efficient

There are several ways that homeowners can improve the energy efficiency of an air conditioning system, including:

• Cleaning or replacing the air filter at least every three months.
• Keeping the air conditioner's coils clean.
• Sealing and insulating the home to prevent unwanted air exchange with the outdoors.
• Cleaning and sealing leaky air ducts.

Upgrading To a New Air Conditioning System

Even if you take all the energy conservation steps listed above, old air conditioners still consume an undue amount of electricity. In many cases, an AC replacement may be a more cost effective solution to the problem of high energy bills. An air conditioner upgrade could lower utility bills by as much as 50 percent. For the greatest level of energy savings, choose an Energy Star rated air conditioner with a SEER of at least 14. Be sure that the air conditioner is sized properly for the home and schedule an annual tune-up.

Central air conditioning systems help achieve and maintain indoor comfort during the hot and humid months of the year. With the latest advancements in heating and cooling technology, homeowners can upgrade to a new air conditioning system and enjoy a more consistent level of comfort and reduce their home's energy consumption. To learn more about today's energy efficient air conditioning system upgrades, call us at Alabama Air Conditioning any time.