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Does your air conditioning help you sleep peacefully over the summer, or do your utility bills keep you up at night?
If you’ve recently opened a particularly shocking utility bill, chances are very good that you’re now on the hunt to find ways to reduce wasteful energy practices, which often means places that your air conditioning is leaking.
When looking to cool your bills down, always look at the following.
How to Find Where Your Home is Leaking Air Conditioning
Read Also:
- Know the Signs When You Must Get in Touch with a Renowned AC Repair Company in Town
- [Infographic] Guide to Vampire Energy: Quick Fixes for Saving Electricity at Home
- Everything You Need to Know About Air Conditioning Installation
- Is It Safe to Leave the Air Conditioner on All Day?
- 4 Common Things That Go Wrong in HVACs
- Energy Saving Tips for Homes
Your Windows and Doors
Did you know that if you were to add up all the tiny holes in and around your door’s home, they could easily combine to be the size of a basketball!
Now, picture a basketball-sized hole in your wall and all of your A/C blowing directly outside. If you can feel a draft coming from a window in the winter, picture the cold air flowing the opposite way in the summer. Are you furious yet?
Inefficient windows can quietly be the biggest energy waster in your home. Inspect all of the windows in your home, and be sure to plug any leaks or cracks you find with caulk.
If you have an older home, you might even want to replace your windows for something more energy efficient. This can be costly, but you can click here to see how much these windows and doors will save you over the long term.
Your Garage
If you’re simply using your garage to store your car and tools, there is no need to air condition it. However, if you’re going to use it as a living space or workspace, you will likely want to cool it down over the summer.
First of all, be very careful with how you install an air conditioning unit because installing it the wrong way can send harmful CO2 into your home.
Second of all, you will want to get an insulated garage door, as most standard doors are not designed to keep that level of climate control inside efficiently. If you’ve never purchased a new garage door, check out these tips to help you pick the right one for your home.
Your Actual Air Conditioning System
If you’re seeing a major increase in energy usage from one summer to the next, you may assume that you’re entire HVAC system is getting old and needs to be replaced. This is possible, but it’s also possible that it just needs a bit of maintenance.
If your system is not well maintained, it may be working much harder than it needs to, which will send your energy usage through the roof. In fact, something as simple as a clogged HVAC filter can add an extra 15% to your energy bills! And that 15% increase could be prevented by spending $15.00 on a new filter.
Make sure you have your HVAC system inspected by a trained professional at least once a year. Also, call a technician if you notice any changes like:
- New or loud noises
- New smells or odors
- Escalating utility bills
You may be able to catch a small issue now before it grows into a bigger, and more expensive, problem later.
How often should you change your air filters? That all depends, but if you have pets it should be at least every 30-60 days.
We hope this gives you a good idea of where to start. But, if you want to learn exactly where your home is leaking, the Department of Energy has created this very helpful home energy audit to find any issues.
