Summer Air Conditioning Tips:
- Always turn your air conditioning system or heat pump off if there is a threat of a storm. A lightning power surge, or if the power is going off and on, can ruin your air conditioning system.
- Do not short cycle your air conditioner or heat pump. If you turn your system off, always wait 3 to 5 minutes to allow the refrigerant pressure to equalize before turning your system back on. Not waiting the 3 to 5 minutes is very hard on the compressor because it's trying to start under non-equalized high pressure.
Winter Heating Tips:
- Test your heating system to make sure it is working properly before you actually need to use it.
- Change your filter, and have your heating system serviced, at the beginning of each season. If you have a fossil fuel (Natural Gas, Liquid Propane, Oil, Coal, Wood burning) furnace purchase a good Carbon Monoxide detector
General Heating and Cooling Tips
- In Winter, set your thermostat to 68° F to conserve on energy consumption, whereas in Summer the thermostat should be set to 78° F.
- Do not set the thermostat lower than the desired temperature. The unit will not cool your dwelling area faster.
- Dirty and/or dusty filters restrict airflow. Examine air filters once a month and clean or replace filters when necessary. Clean filters cut energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
- A programmable thermostat can be installed to maximize the performance of your home comfort systems with reliable, accurate temperature control. And, because you could program them to raise or lower the temperature when you're not home, they also save energy while still maintaining your standard of comfort.
- Make sure furniture does not obstruct air conditioning vents and registers.
- Close off unused rooms and close vents in those rooms.
- Close all unnecessary openings such as fireplace dampers, doors and windows.
- Do not position heat-producing appliances, such as televisions or lamps, near the thermostat. The heat they produce "fools" the thermostat and causes the unit to run longer than necessary. Also, exposing the thermostat to direct sunlight can produce the same effect.
- Keep out sun with louvers or awnings on the outside of your windows, or draw draperies, blinds, or shades indoors. Keep storm windows closed.
- Where possible, limit heat and humidity producing tasks like cooking and laundry tasks to early morning or late evening.
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