Top 5 HVAC Maintenance Tips to Save Money on Energy Bills

Running your air conditioning all summer long will always be expensive. On average, air conditioning accounts for around 12% of a household’s annual electricity bills. In a hotter climate like Tennessee’s, this percentage can be substantially higher. It’s important to properly maintain your AC system so that you can stay cool without breaking the bank.

Why Your Summer AC Bill Is So High

Air conditioning systems consume far more electricity than almost anything else in a house. Most ACs draw somewhere between 3.5 and 5 kilowatts of electricity per hour, resulting in a substantial increase in the household’s electricity bills. Another reason why many households have such high electricity bills during the summer is that many utility companies increase their rates as a result of the increased electricity demand from everyone having their AC running simultaneously.

How to Reduce Your Summer Electric Bill

A properly working AC will typically not need to run for more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. If your AC’s cooling cycles are usually longer than this, you can expect your electricity bills to be much higher, as it indicates something is amiss with the system. Taking the proper steps to maintain your AC system is essential for reducing its workload and ensuring it can cool quickly and effectively.

Inspect and Replace the Air Filter

During the summer, you need to inspect your AC air filter monthly and replace it whenever it begins to look dirty. In general, it’s not wise to use the same filter for more than three months because your AC’s performance will start to suffer, and your electricity bills will increase. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a clogged air filter can make an HVAC system use around 15% more energy than it normally would.

Check and Clean the Outdoor Unit

Keeping the area around your outdoor AC unit clean is also essential to keep it working effectively. Make sure that no vegetation or debris is blocking the unit and preventing it from receiving sufficient airflow.

Cleaning the outdoor unit’s coil is also key, as a dirty condenser coil can make the AC compressor consume around 30% more energy. You can clean the condenser coil yourself fairly easily by hosing it off. However, having a professional clean the coil is the best option to ensure it is fully clean and undamaged, and the compressor works efficiently.

Inspect Air Vents & Ductwork

Closed or clogged vents are another issue that leads to decreased AC performance and higher electricity bills. The problem in this regard is that closed, dirty or clogged vents prevent the AC system from circulating air around the house effectively, resulting in a drop in performance and longer cooling cycles. Leaky ductwork can also compromise performance, with cool air seeping from unsealed ducts. Having a professional repair any leaks or other ductwork issues will also make a major difference in how much electricity your AC consumes.

Test the Thermostat Before Summer Hits

It’s never a good idea to wait until it’s hot enough for air conditioning to turn it on for the first time in the year. Turning on your AC before you need to use it daily and testing your thermostat ahead of time are easy ways to ensure the system is ready to go when you need it.

When testing the thermostat, make sure that it’s calibrated correctly and signals your AC to turn on and off at the right temperatures. You can check if your thermostat is calibrated correctly by using a kitchen thermometer. Compare the temperature on the thermometer to what your thermostat shows to make sure the two are about the same.

Schedule a Professional AC Tune-Up

Even if you follow all the other spring HVAC maintenance tips, you still need your AC serviced by a certified professional before summer starts. Professional AC maintenance involves a variety of essential tasks you won’t be able to do yourself, such as checking the refrigerant level, inspecting the wiring and testing certain components. A spring HVAC tune-up ensures that your air conditioning is working efficiently and helps to prevent breakdowns and extend the life of your system.

Why Schedule Your Spring Tune-Up With Parker’s?

Parker’s HVAC is a local, family-owned and -operated company serving home and business owners in Murfreesboro and throughout the surrounding areas in Middle Tennessee. We have a reputation as one of the area’s top cooling and heating services and are ready to help you get your AC ready for summer. By joining Parker’s Comfort Club, you can ensure your HVAC system is properly maintained and enjoy great perks like priority service and credit toward a new system.

To request an appointment and see what makes Parker’s HVAC the top choice for cooling and heating, contact us today.