Minimizing Central Air Conditioning Bills

People can get hit with a double increase in heating and air conditioning bills as energy costs go up and aging HVAC units work less efficiently. A poorly maintained air conditioner can work at half the efficiency of a well maintained and designed unit. Heating bills are also going up, and many cities now charge energy on a graduated system where each increase in usage is billed at a higher rate. There are some things you can do yourself as a homeowner to increase HVAC efficiency, and some energy-saving steps require the help of a Denver air conditioning company.

The theory behind how cooling works is not all that complex, but trying to make your own adjustments can be hard, especially as Denver HVAC equipment gets more digitized. Even experienced HVAC techs often cannot diagnose cooling problems without the help of many specialized tools.

The steps to be followed on any service are pretty standard. First the technician cleans the coils and checks the refrigerant pressure. The standard checks involve looking at all moving parts and lubricating them. Normally the system should not need to be filled up. With correct sealant it should never lose pressure, however refrigerant fill up are still common.

In central air systems, the heater and air conditioner use the same ductwork. This means there must be a damper to separate the heating and cooling system, so making sure the damper is intact is an important part of minimizing air conditioner bills. Missing dampers waste huge amounts of energy as hot or cool air is dumped into the wrong areas. This is one of the most simple fixes your Denver furnace services company can do.

However regular maintenance and service need not take up all your time. Depending on the part of the country you live in, AC units need to be checked anywhere between every one and five years. If you did have a problem with cooling maintenance you may eventually need to replace an air conditioner.

Usually this will not happen, but if your ac unit is more than 10 years old, or has a poor SEER rating, replacing it may save money in the long term. Although there are many things you can do like fixing duct work, if your system is still hemorrhaging energy after sealing everything up a new HVAC system may be your only option.