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For Dallas, TX residents, the summer is a time you spend sweating outdoors, only to come inside later and enjoy the nice cool air, a study in complements, if you will. You would probably enjoy your time spent indoors, however if you didn’t have to worry about paying an arm and a leg for a high-power bill. The alternative, in this case leaving your thermostat a little higher, doesn’t make anyone happy. In 2019, the EIA, (Energy Information Administration) reported that nearly 30 % of a household’s power consumption could end up going to space heating and cooling. With this in mind, a Dallas, TX resident can take the time to use these air conditioning service tips to save money, and enjoy the summer free of worrying over high power bills.

Air Conditioning Service Tip #1: Be Mindful of Insulation

While this guide is for everyone, this is especially true for homeowners with an older home. When a home starts to experience wear and tear, one of the more expensive, but subtle parts of a home that go is the insulation, costing your overworked air conditioner hundreds of pounds of cold air over the years. Weather stripping, crack sealant, and drafts are the major places to start. In the thresholds for doors, you may find the weather-stripping start to fray, introducing tiny airflows for the air in your home to escape through, sealing these is important. The same can be said for cracks in window sills, although similarly important, these can be subtler, and may have to be inspected manually by lifting the window itself to check for small dents or cracks in the window. After this, the next step is to consider installing tinted windows on your home, or comprehensive window blinds to prevent the hot sun from invading your home. If you’re worried about the winter coming however and high gas bills, you can also invest in window insulating tape that is removable for the winter and fall months, a happy medium between blinds and tints. This is a simpler example of an air conditioning service tip, but these actions will serve to keep the heat out, and the cold in.

Air Conditioning Service Tip #2: The Right Appliances

When it comes time to replace the appliances you use every day, ranging from your lightbulbs and coffee machines, to the more expensive dryer sets, it can be worthwhile to consider investing not only in more energy efficient models, but also in smarter ways to use them. For example, while more energy efficient dryers can save power directly by using less electricity, they also let off a lot of waste heat as a byproduct of drying, making it harder to cool down your home. Running your dryer at night for example can lessen the work your air conditioner has to do to cool your home. The same can be said for light bulbs, as cheaper, inefficient models tend to raise the ambient temperature of the home. Not only would more efficient models save money on power, but they’ll prevent you from needing additional air conditioner service by preventing them from becoming too overworked. Finally, the thermostat in your home isn’t just a device that changes your home’s temperature at the press of a button. Because a thermostat directly measures the heat of a home, If the thermostat is in direct sunlight, or next to a lamp that’s running too hot, it will read the ambient temperature as hotter than the rest of the home, leading it to cool the entire home down more than it needs to be.

Air Conditioning Service Tip #3: High Tech Solutions

There are a number of features you can invest in to make your home more energy efficient. The starting cost can seem expensive, but the money you would save on your air conditioning service would make up for it over the years. For example, what many Dallas, TX homeowners do is program their thermostat to only turn on at specific times of the day, such as when they return home from work or regular hobby outings. With this in mind, investing in a programmable thermostat would go a long way towards turning the air conditioner into a money saving machine. While it’s necessary to change the filters on your heating and ac units, it can get difficult to know when exactly they need to be changed without constantly checking them. Installing a sensor in your ducts or near these filters will help detect when the units have inhibited air flow, meaning they need to be replaced promptly. Cooling your home at the end of the day is greatly benefited by smart technology, the field is constantly changing and innovating, so discovering the newer features you can install in your home can be a great way to save money on air conditioning service in the long run.

Air Conditioning Service Tip #4: Quick Troubleshooting Checks You Can Do

Performing the following maintenance routines can help to reduce the money you spend on power significantly. Cleaning the coils in your air conditioning unit can be a little daunting at first, but as long as it’s off and you aren’t letting the unit stay wet, it’s actually fairly easy for beginners. Dallas, TX home owners should also check to make sure their vents and ducts are functioning properly, if you listen while the air conditioner is on and you hear a buzzing sound, that can indicate there’s a leak in the system that needs to be repaired by an air conditioning service technician.

In Conclusion:

The home is more than just a building, it does a lot to keep you safe and comfortable behind the scenes that is hard to notice. With this in mind, it’s prudent for a home owner to make sure their home runs like a well-oiled machine, and always strive to keep their air conditioner in adequate shape. Contact K&S Heating and Air to schedule an appointment today!