With energy prices going up year on year, many families are searching for ways to limit the amount of money they spend cooling their homes. The best way to protect yourself from spiralling cooling costs is to deal with problems with your air conditioning system that are having a negative impact on its energy efficiency. Here are a few common issues to look out for.
1. Dirty Filters
One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to air conditioning maintenance is not changing the filters often enough. When you leave the same filters in place for too long, substances like dirt, hair and lint build up on the filter surface, restricting the flow of air. As a result, the air conditioning system has to work much harder to force cooled air to flow around your home, which leads to higher energy usage and therefore higher bills.
2. Refrigerant Leaks
If your air conditioning unit develops a coolant leak, then its efficiency will be negatively affected. Leaks lead to an uneven distribution of refrigerant fluid in the unit, leading to fluctuating temperatures and cooling that is inefficient. Take a look at your air conditioning unit to see if you can see coolant leaking from it. If you spot a leak, call a local HVAC company to carry out a repair.
3. Duct Leaks
If you use a ducted air conditioning system to cool your home, it is possible for tears or loose connections in the ductwork to allow cooled air to leak from the system into attics, crawlspaces and other parts of your home that do not need to be cooled. These leaks waste energy and can cause your energy bills to skyrocket, but they are relatively easy to fix. Contact a local HVAC company and ask them to check your ducts.
4. Compressor Failure
One of the most important parts of any air conditioning system is the compressor. This part creates pressure differences to trigger an exchange of heat, which cools the air that then flows through the ducts to cool your home. If the compressor isn't working properly, the air conditioning unit can expend a lot of energy trying unsuccessfully to cool the air, leading to a large energy bill and a home that is uncomfortably warm. Compressor problems need to be handled by a professional HVAC specialist, as this is a key component of the air conditioning system that most people cannot service by themselves.
