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Archive for June, 2010

It’s Time To Change Your Filter!

June 16th, 2010 by Melissa Doyle

Summer is in full swing, and that means it’s time to change your A/C filter! Remember, most air filters need to be changed at least once every 30 days. They need to be changed more often during summer and winter months when your system is running almost constantly.
Aside from being good for your unit, changing your filter regularly is good for your health. Air filters are designed to trap dust, mold, pollen, and other indoor air pollutants. These pollutants can aggravate your allergies or asthma if you have them, and, according to The American Lung Association, they can even cause cancer! I know it seems like everything causes cancer these days, but if something as simple as changing your A/C filter can help prevent it, why not do it?
As a filter clogs, your unit has to work harder to pull air through, making the unit wear out faster. Disposable filters are not very expensive, especially when compared to the costs of having your unit serviced or replaced due to excess wear and tear. Replaceable filters are even more cost effective! They do cost more initially, but after that purchase, you are not shelling out $15+ a month for a new disposable filter (they also keep all those disposable filters out of our landfills).
If this blog comes a little too late and you already need to repair you system, any of our AC Doctor Certified Contractors would be happy to help you. For instructions on changing your air filter, click here.

Leave It On Or Turn It Off?

June 4th, 2010 by Melissa Doyle

I’ve always heard that leaving your air conditioner running when you are not home is more energy efficient that turning it off. Everyone always said if you bump the thermostat up it takes less energy to cool your home than if your turn your system off during the day and then back on when you get home. I can see the logic in this, but even if you set your thermostat to 85 degrees during the day, your system will still kick on whenever the temperature reaches 85 degrees. While it is true that you will use less energy to cool your home from 85 to your preferred temperature than you use cooling from the outdoor temperature, the amount of energy you use to cool your home after the system has been off all day may be less than the energy used to keep your system on all day. Systems made these days are not put under undue strain by being turned off and then back on, as long as it is not being turned off and back on in less than 15 minutes. The choice to leave your system on or turn it off is ultimately yours, however, before you decide do a little experiment. One day set your thermostat at a higher temperature before you leave and check your meter. When you get home, check your meter again to see how much energy you used. On another day that is projected to have the same temperatures, turn your system off and check the meter when you get home, before you’ve turned your system on again. Check the meter again when your home is cooled to your preference (which should only take about 10 minutes) and compare the energy used for those two days. For some people, it may be more cost effective to leave the system of, while for others it is more effective to turn it off. For those of you that want to leave it on, remember this: for every degree you set your thermostat above 80 you can save up to 3% on your energy bill. So setting your thermostat at 85 when you are gone can save you up to 15%. Granted, this 15% decrease is only for the length of time your thermostat is set to 85, but these days we’re all looking for even the tiniest savings!





 


 
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