Tips for Keeping Cool when your Air Conditioner is Struggling

Texas heat can definitely be a struggle. Homes with properly or even over sized air conditioners can have a hard time staying cool.

Every summer you can find lots of tips on how to save energy and keep cool at home: Keep the sun out/close all your blinds, use ceiling fans, wear cooler clothes, go to a movie, go to the water park, get your air conditioner serviced, caulk your windows...









It's helpful to remember how the whole cooling thing works in your home.  I read expression once:  Your air conditioner is the faucet; the building envelope of your home is the cup.  If  you have a leaky cup, your air conditioner has to work harder. If your AC is already doing all it can, you may need to take a look at your building envelope. Also, to return to the metaphor, a leak in your water pipe may make it impossible to fill up the cup, even it's not leaking much.
Here are three questions to ask as you try to keep cool with an air conditioner that struggles on those really hot days:

• What can I do to reduce the amount of heat getting in?
• What can I do to make my air conditioner more effective?
• What else can I do to keep cool?

Keeping heat out

1. Keep the sun out. Windows can be the largest contributors to your heat gain. When the sun shines directly into the house, it usually brings a lot of heat. Solar screens on the outside of the window are great for keeping heat out. Consider temporary shading or dark curtains.
2. Seal the strange air leaks. Standard energy-saving advice tells you to caulk your windows and weatherstrip your doors.  Don't ignore some of the much bigger leaks, like crawl space vents that may open into conditioned spaces.  Look around in your attic or basement and you'll find the worst offenders.

Helping your air conditioner

4. Change your filter. Most people let them get too dirty, and this is one of the most common reasons for poor performance in air conditioners. A dirty filter adds resistance and reduces air flow. Go ahead and check it now.  Good rule of thumb to help you remember to change it monthly is when you pay your electric bill.
5. Improve air flow.  Dirty air filters aren't the only thing to cause air flow problems. A dirty evaporator coil will prevent air to move across it and your home won't cool off well. If the condenser coil is dirty, it won't dump enough heat to the outside. If your condenser coil is crowded with vegetation or other obstacles, clear it out. You can trim the bushes yourself, but you should probably call a pro to clean the coils.
6. Look for disconnected ducts. If your ducts are outside of the conditioned space in your home, check to see if anything has come loose. Fixing a supply duct that's sending all its cool air to the attic or crawl space (as shown below) can have an immediate impact on your comfort. This problem is more common than you may think.

Other cooling tips

7. Use fans. Yes it's common, but it helps keep air flowing and your comfortable when your AC is working the best it can on those super hot Texas days.  If you have empty or rooms your don't use, turn those fans off to help save energy and prevent adding more heat to your home.
8. Use a window air conditioner. Yes I know their not the prettiest thing, but if nothing else has helped keep you cool then it may give you that extra cooling you need to get you through the hottest part of summer.

It's always best to have a licensed technician come and do a proper assessment and preventative maintenance checkup at least once a year.  Call Supreme Air Service today for an appointment (214) 310-1680.

Simple Money Saving Tips for your Air Conditioner

When it comes to running your air conditioner we all want to save money and help our systems last as long as they can.  Here are a few simple tips to help you save money.   A little planning before installing your air conditioner will save you energy and money.

• Setting your thermostat between 72°F and 78°F. You can increase you energy consumption by approximately 8% by each degree setting below 78°F.  That can add up to a lot of money over a year.   
  

• Clean and inspect your AC/Heating coils both the indoors and outdoors. The indoor coil in your air conditioner acts as a magnet for dust because it is constantly wetted during the cooling season. Dirt build-up on the indoor coil is the single most common cause of poor efficiency. The outdoor coil must also be checked periodically for dirt build-up and cleaned if necessary.

• Check the refrigerant charge. The circulating fluid in your air conditioner is a special refrigerant gas such as 410a puron and the soon to be phased our R22 Freon that is put in when the system is installed. If the system is overcharged or undercharged with refrigerant, it will not work properly. You may need a service contractor to check the fluid and adjust it appropriately.
• When using the fans in your kitchen and bathroom use them sparsely when your air conditioning system is running.
• Using cost-effective conservation measures will help reduce the cooling load. For example, delay heat-generating activities, such as dishwashing or baking, until the evening on hot days. Try and efficiently shade east and west windows.
• If possible don't use a dehumidifier at the same time your air conditioner is running.  The dehumidifier will increase the cooling load and force the air conditioner to work harder, which in turn increases your utility bill.
• During the hot summer days when your using your air conditioning system the most, try and keep the house closed tight.  Try not to let in any unwanted heat and humidity.  If practical, ventilate at night either with fans or naturally by opening some windows.

I hope some of these tips will help you out. As always its best to have a licensed technician come out before summer season to check you air conditioner and before winter to check your heating system.  Give Supreme Air Service a call at (214) 310-1680 and we will be more than happy to help you.

Have a great day!!

The Importance of an Annual A/C Tune Up

If you want to stay relaxed and cool in your home this summer without worrying about your energy bills going through the roof, keeping your air conditioning unit tuned up is a good place to start.

A spring checkup of your home’s A/C system can extend its life by several years, as well as save you up to 15 percent a month on your energy bills. That will more than pay for the estimated $85 to $125 yearly maintenance expense – and the annual visit from your HVAC representative can help you find small problems before they grow into bigger, more costly ones.

Look at it like your maintaining your car.  It's good to have the oil changed and tires rotated every 3000-5000 miles.  It helps make them all last longer.  Anyone who has spent a lot of money on a new unit should be looking at it as an investment. During the general maintenance, we check the functionality. We’re also going to clean the (condenser) coil; we make sure it’s clean and free of debris. We’ll check how well the system is working and see if there’s an improper connection and make sure there’s no leaks.

A well-looked-after unit can last up to 15 years, compared to seven years for ones that are left ignored. When units aren't maintained and serviced at least once a year they can lose up to five percent of their efficiency each year, which leads to a new A/C system that can cost from $4000-7000 to replace.

Best thing you can do as a homeowner is change your air filters monthly.  This will help keep your system running smoothly and improve your homes airflow and monthly cost. Best way to remember when to change your air filters is when you pay your monthly electric bill. 

One of the most expensive repairs to have is a refrigerant leak.  The common refrigerant, R-22, also known as Freon, is in the process of a mandatory government phase out, resulting in rising prices to replace it.  R-22 has been replaced by R-410a puron, a more environmentally friendly refrigerant, which cannot be used in older units.  People with R-22 units that experience a leak will be paying more than the worth of the unit. It would be worth the investment to replace that unit with a new one with R-410a.

Spring is the best time to have your units tuned up before the Texas summer heat hits us.

 

The key to prolonging the life of your unit and to get high efficiency is to maintain it.

Call Supreme Air Service today and schedule an appointment for one of our highly trained technicians to come and give you a good service.  214-310-1680 or 214-228-1009.

Have a super day all!