Is your HVAC in Tampa, FL weighing down your home? If you’re like most homeowners, your HVAC system isn’t making good use of the energy that goes into it. This poses several problems, all of which you can prevent by optimizing your HVAC system and your home.
Your Total Home Energy Use
Even the most environmentally focused individuals have some type of carbon footprint. Unless you’re completely off the grid and rely on the elements for power, you waste energy. From heating your water to cooling your refrigerator, you need gas or electricity to keep your home running.
Out of all the systems in your home, the HVAC system uses up the most energy. Regardless of the size of your home, your HVAC requires a significant amount of power to heat and cool the ambient environment. It takes up at least half of your home’s energy use, at the very least. If you have concerns about your energy use, your HVAC system is the first place you should start.
The Importance of Knowing Your Energy Use
Why does this all matter? In today’s world, people take their energy consumption for granted. Unfortunately, this has resulted in climate change and a drastic reduction of natural resources. It’s become increasingly important for people to know their energy use and make an effort to decrease it.
Of course, the environment isn’t the only thing to benefit from lowering your energy consumption. Your bank account will also thank you. With the average homeowner spending over $2,200 on energy bills each year, you probably spend more on your utility bills than you think.
If you make an effort to lower your energy expenditure, you will notice a significant reduction in your energy bills. You get the bonus of helping out the environment.
How to Optimize Your Home’s HVAC System
Perhaps the best way to optimize your HVAC is to hire one of the experienced HVAC contractors in Tampa, FL to replace your system. Every year, the technology for heating and air conditioners improves. And every year, your current system gets a little older and less efficient. That said, replacing an HVAC system isn’t always an option. For one, you may not be able to afford it. New systems are costly, so you might hesitate to upgrade until it’s necessary. Secondly, you won’t want to replace your system if it’s only a few years old. While a brand-new system may be slightly more efficient, it’s not worth replacing a two-year-old system to save a few dollars each year. The real savings come from replacing systems that are ten years old or older with a new system. If you compare an HVAC system made today with one made 12 years ago, you’ll see an energy efficiency of 50% or more. Whether or not your system is broken, you should consider upgrading it.
Tips for Optimizing Your System
If replacing your HVAC isn’t in the cards, then you have other options. There are ways in which you can optimize your system to perform better. It’s cheaper than replacing your HVAC, and some of the methods don’t cost anything at all.
Use the Right Equipment
If you want your HVAC to be efficient, you need the right equipment. A system that’s too small or large for your home will leave you with unnecessary energy expenditure. If you’re installing a new system, it’s essential to have a professional pick the appropriate size. Regardless of the size of your system, you might need supplemental equipment. In a home with high humidity, a dehumidifier can save your HVAC from working too hard. Other optional equipment includes heat recovery units and evaporative coolers.
Receive Preventative Maintenance
As an HVAC owner, the biggest mistake you could make is to skip out on preventative maintenance. Your system is constantly working to maintain a desirable temperature, and this causes wear and tear. If you don’t do anything about the unavoidable damage, your system will be inefficient. During regular maintenance, your HVAC technician checks for flaws and issues. If the system is wasting energy, the technician can come up with a way to reduce the waste. In addition to decreasing energy use, your maintenance also limits the need for repairs.
During preventative maintenance, a technician does the following:
- Inspect and cleaning air filters
- Lubricate all moving components
- Check controls for functionality
- Clean the system
- Examine the exterior unit
- Address your concerns
Insulate Your Home
The reason heating and cooling systems use so much energy is the fact that air enters and escapes your home and your system. If there are leaks in your ducts, air escapes. Meanwhile, your windows and doors also cause heating and cooling to be lost. To prevent this loss, you need to insulate your home. Your windows should have caulk around them, and your attic should be well-insulated. The older your home is, the more work you might have to do to insulate it. Once properly insulated, your home could use up to 20% less energy on heating and cooling.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
All too often, heating and cooling systems are running when no one is home. What’s the point in cooling a home that has no one in it or heating your home to a warm 78 degrees when you’re away on vacation? To reduce wasted energy, you can install a programmable thermostat. You can preset your thermostat to fit your schedule. With certain thermostats, you even receive recommendations on settings to be more energy efficient. In only a few months, a programmable thermostat can pay for itself. You may be able to handle the installation on your own, which makes it even more affordable.
Call Us for Energy Saving Tips for Your HVAC in Tampa FL
To get even more energy savings, give us a call at Comfort All-Stars. We can advise you on ways to make your HVAC in Tampa, FL, energy-efficient or install a new system in your home. If you’re ready to take action, call us now.
