Summer weather in Franklin Lakes can be brutal. But you don’t have to make a choice between being comfortably cool and saving money on your utility costs. We’ve put together some tips to help you out.
The greatest thing you can do to stay comfy and sustain energy efficiency is by servicing your air conditioner. ENERGY STAR® recommends keeping your system operating at its best and efficiently, and Total Comfort is here to help. During an AC tune-up appointment, we’ll do the following tasks suggested by ENERGY STAR and more:
- Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors to be sure there’s safe operation of your system and the opportunity of a longer lifespan for major components.
- Clean the air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils as need be. Dirty coils require your system to operate harder to do its job.
- Check system controls to make sure of proper and safe operation.
- Inspect refrigerant levels.
- Clean and adjust blower components to ensure proper system airflow.
Another critical piece to keeping cool is regularly inspecting your air conditioner’s air filter. A dirty filter may raise energy expenses and damage your equipment, which may lead to premature failure. Our Total Comfort professionals will inspect these for you at your tune-up appointment, but you’ll want to take a look at the manufacturer’s recommendations to set up your own schedule to swap them out.
Here are a few other tips to keep your home cool and energy-efficient:
- Check thermostat settings to be sure your air conditioner keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.
- If it’s cool at night, you can turn off your air conditioner and open your windows. Let the night air cool your place for you! In the morning, shut your windows and window coverings to hold on to the cool air and block the sun’s heat.
- Use fans to your advantage. An ENERGY-STAR ceiling fan will allow you to set your thermostat a bit higher than you normally would without noting any changes in your comfort level.
- Another style of fan people often forget about when they’re trying to keep cool is their bathroom ventilation fan. Be 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 house.
- Try not to leave lights on and running many appliances on the hottest days. Obviously, your stovetop and oven add heat into your home, but even everyday activities like watching TV, working on the computer, and drying or curling your hair can up the heat in your home.
If you’d like extra ideas on how to keep your home cool and energy efficient this summer, give Total Comfort at call at 201-268-5663 or request an appointment with us online.