Always Air Heating and Air Tulsa, OK AC Best Practices

We'd like to take this opportunity to share with you a few ways to save some money
on your comfort costs. It is important that you maintain your comfort system properly
to ensure longer system life and higher efficiency.

Air Conditioning Best Practices

Get regular tune-ups (twice a year) to keep the system operating efficiently
and to prevent costly repairs. It's much easier, and often cheaper, to prevent
damage than it is to repair damage.

Don't forget to change your air conditioning and heating system filter once a
month. This will help to reduce indoor airborne particles that may increase
the number of problems you experience with allergies, colds and the flu.

Invest in a programmable thermostat. By doing so, you can program the
thermostat to turn down your air conditioning/heat for you when you leave for
work when no one is home and after you go to bed when everyone is asleep.

Moving the thermostat up a few degrees in summer or down in winter can
result in significant savings of both money and energy.

Remember to turn off your outdoor unit when mowing your grass. If cut grass
and debris is blown into the outdoor unit it will interfere with the airflow and
decrease the efficiency of your air conditioning and heating system.

Keep your curtains and shades drawn on the south and west windows of
your home. Average utility savings can be 3 - 6%. An even better idea would
be upgrade to double pane windows (at least on the sunny sides) which can
reduce consumption by 25 - 40%.

On hot summer days, the temperature in your attic can reach 150 degrees.
Improving the ventilation in your attic will lower the temperature of the entire
house and make your air conditioner’s job a lot easier. Installing an attic fan
that is controlled by a thermostat to exhaust the hot air can greatly improve the
comfort of your home.

Hire a professional to seal and insulate leaky ducts, and to ensure that the
airflow distribution system serving your equipment is operating at peak
efficiency.

Prune back shrubs and remove debris, like grass and leaves, that may block
airflow to your window air conditioner or your central AC compressor.

The location of your air conditioner has a lot to do with how efficient it will be. If
you have a choice, locate your units on the north, east or the best-shaded
side of your home. If the unit is exposed to direct sunlight, it has to work much
harder and use more energy to cool your home.

To stay most comfortable during the hottest hours of the day, do your cooking,
laundry and bathing in the early morning or late evenings. These activities all
increase the level of humidity in your home, making it less comfortable and
forcing the air conditioner to work even harder. If other heat generating
appliances, such as irons, ovens and blow dryers are used only in the early
morning or late evening, your home will stay cooler.