Clean indoor and outdoor coils before warm weather starts. A dirty coil reduces the system's ability to cool your home and causes the system to run longer, costing you more energy dollars and decreasing the life of the equipment.
Check your central air conditioner's refrigerant charge and adjust it if necessary to make sure it meets manufacturer specifications. Too much or too little refrigerant charge can damage the compressor, reducing the life of your equipment and increasing costs.
Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow. Proper airflow over the indoor coil is necessary for efficient equipment operation and reliablity.
Improving Your Home's Comfort with Home Sealing
The exterior of your home is called the "envelope" or "shell." The envelope is made up of the outer walls, ceiling, windows, and floor. It is common to find both old and new homes that have poorly performing "envelopes" " that is, they have drafty air leaks and are poorly insulated. An envelope that performs poorly leads to an uncomfortable home and higher heating and cooling bills. This is especially true when the weather outside is very cold or hot. Sealing air leaks and adding insulation can increase your home's overall comfort, as well as reduce heating and cooling bills.
To improve your home's envelope, the EPA recommends a process called ENERGY STAR Home Sealing:
Seal air leaks to reduce drafts and get the full performance out of insulation.
Always seal air leaks before adding insulation.
Add insulation to keep your home comfortable and energy-efficient.
Usually, the easiest and most effective place to add insulation is in the attic. This can improve comfort throughout the home. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recommends insulation levels for each part of the house, tailored for varying climates. Visit http://www.energystar.gov and click on Home Sealing to see
recommended levels of insulation.
Choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows when replacing or adding windows to your home. In addition to making you feel more comfortable, they reduce UV damage to interior fabrics and can help you save money on heating and cooling costs. Be sure the windows you choose are qualified for your climate zone.
Benefits of ENERGY STAR Home Sealing:
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