Air Conditioning Tip of the Week:

When replacing your old air conditioning system make sure to look at all your energy savings equipment options - what you might save on "up front", could cost you in the "long run"!

See what the US Department of Energy recommends by clicking on the link below:

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12310

Air Conditioning Tip of the Week:

Your air conditioner's evaporator coil (the ‘inside’ portion) and condenser coil (the ‘outside’ portion) collect dirt over their months and years of service. A clean filter helps prevent the evaporator coil from soiling quickly, however in time, the evaporator coil will still collect dirt. This dirt reduces air flow and insulates the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat, thereby decreasing the efficiency of your unit and causing it to work harder than it was designed for.  To avoid this problem, check your evaporator coil every year and clean it as necessary.

Outdoor condenser coils can also become very dirty if the outdoor environment is dusty or if there is foliage nearby. You can easily see the condenser coil and notice if dirt is collecting on its fins and/or spines.

You should minimize dirt and debris near the condenser unit. Your dryer vents, falling leaves, and lawn mower are all potential sources of dirt and debris. Cleaning the area around the coil, removing any debris, and trimming foliage back at least 2 feet allows for adequate air flow around the condenser unit.

The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils are easily bent and can block air flow through the coil causing all kinds of problems with the unit.  If bent, try to straighten these fins back into nearly original condition (they don’t have to be “perfect”, just open them up to air flow again).

Air Conditioning Tip of the Week:

Especially during extreme hot and humid conditions, it's best to run your furnace blower in the "ON" position on your thermostat rather than the "AUTO" position. This will help to keep the air "mixed" within all parts of the house, helping to eliminate hot and cold spots (it will also extract more "cooling" from the evaporator coil that is normally left when the indoor blower shuts off).
A great example of the effects of 'blower air', is to observe a bottle of vinegar and oil salad dressing. When the bottle has set for a period of time the ingredients separate, when you shake the bottle up the ingredients are mixed fairly evenly within the bottle - very similar to the air in your home!

Air Conditioning Tip of the Week:

Now that the heat and humidity is causing plants and landscaping to grow very quickly, it is important to check to make sure there is nothing blocking the sides or top of your air conditioner; restriction of air flow around the air conditioner unit can cause increased utility bills and possibly cause failures to occur because of overheating!