December 27, 2016
According to the department of Energy 5 percent of the total electricity produced in the United states are used by Air Conditioners. In a climate as warm as Maui, beating the heat at work and at home is a necessity.
So how do you reduce those costs?
- Make sure you have solar screens on all your windows during the summer months. This will keep up to 70% of the solar energy from getting inside thru the windows.
- Keep the filter clean to allow for good air flow. When your filter is dirty you can lose as much as 50% of your air flow costing you money.
- Make sure you are using a programmable Thermostat. You can save up to 15% of the cost to heat and cool your home by setting your t-stat up when you are not there.
- Landscaping can make a big difference on your bill. Tall trees can block the sun and shade you home and save you money
- Don’t oversize when buying a new Air conditioning system.
- Clean the condenser/evaporator coils at the Start of each summer. The cleaner you keep your condenser the lower the cost to operate.
- Insulate the attic.
- To figure out how much insulation you need to add to your attic you must first figure out what you currently have in place. If you have cellulose insulation and a flat ceiling, it’s simple to check the current R-value in your attic.
- Using a tape measure, measure the depth from top of the drywall up to the top of the cellulose. typical R value of 3.8 per inch for cellulose. We recommend you have a minimum of an R-38 in your attic.
- Test your ducts for leaks.
- Make sure your doors and windows are well sealed.
- The one people do not want to hear, Replace that old system.