When you start saving energy dollars, you’ll cut your monthly expenses and in some cases, lengthen the life of the appliances in your home. Here are some simple ways to cut energy consumption with little investment.
- Lower the water heater’s temperature from 140 degrees F to 120 degrees. After to cooling and heating your home, your water heater is next in line for consuming energy. Reducing the water’s temperature prolongs the life of the water heater, as does draining a few quarts from the bottom a few times a year. A lower temperature is also safer since it lowers scalding risks. If you want hotter water for the dishwasher, enable the heating coil inside it.
- Replace old incandescent lights with CFLs or LEDs that use a fraction of the electricity and don’t create as much heat.
- Change and keep the air filter for the cooling system clean. When it gets dirty, the airflow slows and it takes longer for your cooling system to reach the thermostat’s settings. If dust accumulates on the A/C evaporator coil, the refrigerant may not pick up as much heat, causing the water vapor in the air to freeze on the coil. If your system continues to run, not only will the A/C not cool your home, it can cause compressor failure.
- Unplug chargers that aren’t in use to start saving energy dollars. Many of these chargers continue to draw power by just being plugged into an outlet or a power strip. If you organize all the chargers your family uses, label then and place them into one power strip, you’ll be able to turn the power strip off when no one is using it.
- Unless your entertainment equipment carries the Energy Star label, unplug them or turn off the power strip when not using them. Any of these appliances that starts immediately the moment it’s turned on draws standby power.
The pros at Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. can help you start saving energy dollars with your HVAC equipment. We’ve provided HVAC services for Mobile and Baldwin County homeowners since 1964.
