Now that the weather is heating up and summer is in full swing your air conditioning is probably working overtime. Here are a few tips to run your system most efficiently and prevent nuisance service calls.
Tip One
If you know the weather is going to be warm and your system is off, turn it on early in the morning before the house has a chance to heat up using the benefit of the cooler overnight temperature to get a head start on your cooling. There is a misconception that keeping the system off until needed saves energy.
Tip Two
Believe it or not, you will actually use more energy trying to play catch up rather than maintaining temperature. For example, if the temperature in your home is allowed to reach 77-80 degrees it could take 4-5 hours to bring the temp down to 72. Whereas if you keep your thermostat set to 72 the system will cycle to maintain 72 running 10 or 15 minutes at a time.
Another thing to note is that central air systems are meant to achieve an 18-20 degree temperature differential between intake temp and output temp. Therefore, if the intake temp is 78-80 degrees the system can typically output 58-60 degree air. If the intake temp is 72 degrees the system is able to output 52 degree air which is ideal for cooling.
Tip Three
Always keep doors and windows closed while running air conditioning and be sure to have your system maintained regularly to be sure it’s running at peak efficiency. A 20% loss of refrigerant charge can account for a 30-40% of reduction in efficiency.
If you have any questions or concerns with your heating or cooling system give us a call at (781) 639-9222 to set up a maintenance or repair appointment.