People in the Houston area rely heavily upon their air conditioning to beat the heat.
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Installing programmable thermostats in your Houston area home is an excellent start toward energy efficiency, but only if each thermostat is set properly. The wise use of programmable thermostats begins with correct selection, based on your home-time habits.
Available Models
Since programmable thermostats are more sophisticated than the old electro-mechanical versions, they generally are available in three different models, based on your typical schedule:
- Thermostats called 5+2-day models give you four weekday settings (morning, empty house, afternoon and overnight) plus a schedule for both weekend days together
- The 5-1-1 models give you a weekday schedule (four settings per day), a Saturday schedule, and a Sunday schedule (also four settings for each day); this is best if your weekend routine differs from Saturday to Sunday
- The models known as 7-day units provide the greatest flexibility, allowing four settings per day for each of seven days; this is ideal if your weekend routines vary and your weekday schedules change day to day as well.
Maximize Efficiency
If you treat programmable thermostats as simple replacements for the old devices with their bimetal coil and mercury-filled glass bulb, you will not gain any energy efficiency. Consult your trustworthy HVAC technician about setting the units for maximum energy efficiency, beginning with these recommended settings:
- At wake and afternoon times, when your Houston-area home is busy, set the air conditioning for 76 degrees; set heat for 68 degrees
- When the house is empty (everyone is at work or school), set the air conditioning for 86 degrees and the heat for 58 degrees; this 10-degree difference for long periods accomplishes your energy savings
- For overnight (when no one will be aware of the change), set air conditioning a few degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter.
- For vacations, use the thermostats
Did you know if your home’s ductwork leaks just 20 percent, it can force your HVAC system to work 50 percent harder? All of these numbers will add up to higher energy bills for you. The good news is that duct sealing is an easy but important way to save money on your utility bills.
How Duct Sealing Saves You Money
The ductwork in your home is a network of tubes that connect your forced-air cooling or heating equipment to all the rooms in your home. When you have leaking ductwork, it could mean that air you’ve paid to condition is leaking out into unheated or un-cooled areas of your home.
In turn, this means rooms in your house aren’t getting the cooled or heated air they need. Your home becomes uncomfortable with some rooms being too hot and some rooms being too cold.
In effort to make your home comfortable again, you constantly adjust the thermostat making your cooling or heating equipment work harder. When you have correct duct sealing done, it can save you as much as 10-20 percent on your utility bills.
Check for Duct Sealing Problems
Easy places to check for problems are duct connections, near the air handler, and near vents and registers. If your vents and registers aren’t attached tightly, use weatherstripping on the inside edge. This keeps air from leaking into the walls.
You’ll find most of your ductwork in the attic, garage or crawl spaces. Look for gaps, unsealed joints, or where ductwork has come loose. Ductwork problems in these areas can be difficult to access. If so, call the professionals to do the inspection for you. They know what to look for and won’t overlook even small leaks that are costing you big money.
Save Big Money With Proper Duct Sealing
Check your home once every year for duct leaks, and seal the leaks you find with mastic sealant or metal-backed tape. Avoid using standard duct tape, since the seal won’t hold over the long term.
Your Houston area home becomes very uncomfortable in the summer without air conditioning. If your cooling system is experiencing issues, use these tips for troubleshooting common A/C problems to get it running again quickly.
Condenser Doesn
Keeping your Sugar Land
Let’s face it: Houston is hotter than blazes in the summer, and your air conditioner works awfully hard to keep you cool in the sweltering heat. But an inefficient air conditioner will not only greatly increase your energy bills, but it will also lead the way to expensive repairs and inconvenient, uncomfortable breakdowns. Professional A/C maintenance is essential for your comfort and your pocketbook, and here’s why.
Your System Works Hard!
Over time, electrical connections and belts loosen, dust builds up inside the
Springtime brings warm weather, sunshine and fresh flowers. It also brings pollen, dust and allergies. Many people associate springtime with sneezing, an itchy nose and irritated eyes. Spending time indoors should be a haven from allergies. If your home’s indoor air quality isn’t much better than the outdoor air quality, you can make some improvements that will help you cope with allergy season.
HEPA Filters and Allergy Relief
One of the most common ways to rid your home of allergens is through a high-efficiency particulate air filter, commonly referred to as a HEPA filter. It is used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems. The HEPA filter is also compatible with whole-home filtration systems, room air filters, dehumidifiers, furnaces and vacuum cleaners. It helps to relieve allergic reactions by removing irritating particles from the air.
How Air Purifiers Work
There are several different air purifying systems available. They remove pollen, dust, pet dander and mold spores from the air, creating an environment that is much less likely to make you sneeze. Dirty air is pulled into the air purifying system. The allergens are removed, and clean air is pushed out into the room. There are different options available with air purifying systems from various manufacturers.
- Ultraviolet (UV) lamps with germicide kill organisms inside the system that can irritate allergies.
- Pre-filters remove larger particles as they enter the purifier.
- Carbon filters capture odors, smoke and dust particles.
- HEPA filters remove pollen, dust and other allergens.
Indoor Air Quality Remedies
At ACS Absolute Comfort, we offer several HVAC services to help you improve the air quality in your home.
- Air quality testing
- HVAC duct cleaning
- Duct system inspection
- Installation of air purifiers
Tips to Reduce Allergens
You can lower your exposure and reactions to allergens by following a few tips.
- Install an indoor air purifier.
- Don’t allow smoking in your home.
- Wear a mask outdoors when the pollen count is high.
- Launder all of your bedding and blankets weekly using hot water.
- Use HEPA filters in your vacuum cleaner to minimize dust eruptions.
- Choose low-pile carpets and hard flooring to minimize floating fibers.
- Check for plumbing leaks, reducing moisture and chances for mold to grow.
- Limit the number and types of flowering trees, plants and shrubs on your property.
- Have a family member or a professional mow your lawn and handle landscape maintenance.
To learn more about how ACS Absolute Comfort can help you cope with your allergies by improving your indoor air quality, contact us today.
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