Ways to Maximize HVAC Efficiency

Texas natives depend on HVAC equipment all year long to remain comfortable. But while these systems can be a blessing in the comfort department, they aren’t so fun when it comes to energy costs. Maximizing your system’s efficacy and efficiency is vital if you want to avoid high costs, and Total Air & Heat is here to tell you how!

Boost Comfort & Cut Costs with These HVAC Tips

Some tips are easy and free—as simple as some small changes in behavior or use. Some others may take a small investment for a big payoff:

Learn & Master the Advantages of Ceiling Fans

A single, large ceiling fan clocks in at between 50-100 watts of energy to keep running. Your air conditioner or furnace? Think 4,000+ watts! The difference in use is massive, and you can use fans to great effect in order to reduce energy use.

Run ceiling fans counterclockwise in the summer to generate a moisture-wicking and chilling breeze in your home, and during the winter set the fans to clockwise to create an updraft that pulls cool air up, and the warm air (which naturally rises to the top of a room) back down to where it can warm you up.

Not sure where your ceiling fan settings are? Most fans have a simple switch located on the side of the center of the fixture!

Use Smart Thermostat Settings

While “smart” is not a literal setting on your thermostat, you can be careful about where you set your temp. For every degree that your heating or cooling system has to make up, the system will consume around 8% more power per hour. That means if you’re keeping your home a chilly 68 Farenheit in the summer, you’re making the system run roughly 25% harder than the standard average of 72 degrees!

The difference can be huge on your bill, so either strip down to shorts and a tee in the summer and set the temp higher, or bundle up in the winter and turn the furnace down.

Change Your Air Filter Often

The air filter in your HVAC system plays an important role in keeping indoor air clean and free of dust, which is nice for our health overall. But it’s also quite important for ensuring optimal airflow in your air conditioner or furnace, and if the filter gets gunky, it can make your system struggle to meet your comfort needs. For best results, be sure to change the filter regularly—in the Dallas area we recommend changing your filter monthly.

Investments to Consider for Even More HVAC Savings

• Install a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats give you a “smart” way to control temperatures in your home. They can be set on user-generated routines or can be left to handle your comfort on their own.
• Schedule HVAC maintenance. Routine professional maintenance is hands-down the most important cost-saving tip we have on these lists! Tune-ups clean your system to optimize performance, they streamline your systems for better results, and they ensure you don’t deal with any mid-season breakdowns.
• Consider an energy audit. Homes are absolutely full of ways to lose heating and cooling. Pinholes in your ducts, a lack of insulation, an old or ineffective HVAC system—the list goes on, and it can be hard to identify issues alone. So don’t! A home energy audit will identify all if the weak spots in your home efficiency, and will help you to generate an ideal course of action to remedy them.

Contact Total Air for Superior HVAC Services in Dallas, Texas

Ready to get more comfort and better efficiency from your home cooling and heating systems? Connect with Total Air online to get started, or schedule your annual HVAC maintenance today!