Understanding your Air Conditioning System
There are three essential components to your AC system, heating, cooling, ventilation ductwork, and the thermostats. Each one of these parts contains a whole set of subsystems on their own. Let’s look at each part individually to get a better idea of that each one does.
The Heating System
The Heat in an HVAC system is supplied by a natural gas or oil-fired furnace. The furnace unit contains a heat exchanger- responsible for the actual warming of the air.
The Cooling System
Unlike the furnace, the air-conditioner unit is placed outside the home and runs on electricity. It uses a compressor and coolants to remove the heat from the air.
The Ductwork
Once the heat is extracted from the air, the ventilation ductwork moves heated air to the outside of the home, and cooled air throughout the inside.
The Thermostat
You can think of your thermostat as the brains to the system. This is the part of the operation that controls everything that happens to your system. Thermostats can turn systems on and off and can be operated manually or set to a predetermined temperature.
Note: Using an automatic thermostat can save you up to 10% off your air conditioning bill.
How Long Will my Air Conditioner Last?
Most air conditioners have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Unfortunately, most homeowners neglect to perform proper maintenance on their units, which takes down the average life span of your unit to around the 8 to 10 year mark.
The most common causes of premature system deterioration are improper installation and improper maintenance.
It is essential that you conduct proper maintenance like changing the filter, cleaning the ductwork, flushing your piping systems and other basic maintenance tasks. This will not only extend the life of your system, but will also save you money on your electrical bill.
Improving Your Units Efficiency
Your air conditioner and heating system uses about 44% of the energy in your home. If you want to save money on your monthly electricity bill, start by tackling the air conditioner.
Here are some of the things you can do to improve its efficiency:
· Replace your old system with more modern Energy Star qualified equipment. This alone can cut your bill by more than $400 a year.
· Seal and insulate every part of your duct work. This can improve your systems efficiency by %20 percent or more. 90 percent of homes in America have leaking or damaged ductwork.
· Install a programmable thermostat – Like I mentioned earlier, having a programmable thermostat allows you to control air temperatures even when you are not home, this little smart tool alone can shave off $180 of your yearly costs.
· Replace single-pane windows with Energy Star approved windows can save you around $300 a year.
· Increasing insulation thickness can save $100 for every 1200 square feet of ceiling area.
· A heating and cooling loss of up to 12% occurs around windows and doors. Proper weather stripping can prevent this loss.
We hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions in regards to your air conditioner system please contact us at AC Repair Miami. We are glad to help!
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