Summer weather in West Columbia can be a bear. But you don’t have to choose between being comfortably cool and saving money on your utility expenses. We’ve compiled some tips to make it easy.
The best thing you can do to stay cool and maintain energy efficiency is by servicing your air conditioner. ENERGY STAR® recommends keeping your system operating dependably and efficiently, and Tri City Fuel & Heating Co., Inc. is able to help. During an AC tune-up appointment, we’ll complete the following tasks recommended by ENERGY STAR and more:
- Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors to ensure safe operation of your system and the opportunity of a longer lifecycle for major components.
- Clean the air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils as required. Dirty coils require your system to run harder to do its job.
- Check system controls to ensure accurate and safe operation.
- Look at refrigerant levels.
- Clean and adjust blower components to be sure of proper system airflow.
Another critical piece to remaining cool is routinely inspecting your air conditioner’s air filter. A dirty filter could increase energy bills and damage your equipment, leading to premature failure. Our Tri City Fuel & Heating Co., Inc. experts will inspect these for you at your tune-up appointment, but you’ll want to check the manufacturer’s recommendations to set up your own schedule to switch them out.
Here are a handul of other tips to keep your home cool and energy-efficient:
- Check thermostat settings to make sure your air conditioner keeps you cool when you are home and saves energy while you are not around.
- If it is cool at night, you can turn off your air conditioner and open your windows. Let nature cool your home for you! In the morning, shut your windows and window coverings to trap the cool air and block the sun’s heat.
- Take advantage of fans. An ENERGY-STAR ceiling fan will allow you to set your thermostat a bit higher than you regularly would without noticing any changes in your comfort level.
- Another style of fan people routinely forget about when they’re working to keep cool is their bathroom ventilation fan. Make sure to run yours when you shower as well as 20 minutes or longer after you’re done to get rid of the heat and humidity from your bathroom.
- Work to not leave lights on and running many appliances on the hottest days. Obviously, your stovetop and oven are adding heat into your home, but even everyday activities like watching TV, working on the computer, and drying or curling your hair can boost the heat in your home.
If you’d like extra ideas on how to keep your home cool and energy efficient this summer, give Tri City Fuel & Heating Co., Inc. at call at 803-265-4208 or request an appointment with us online.