When the cost of living has punched a ticket for a rocket ride into the stratosphere, as it has right now, you need solutions that maximize every cent you lay down, whether it’s food, gas, energy, or the much harder to quantify expense of what it costs to keep your home comfortable and HVAC system running smoothly.
Rowland Air has been in the HVAC business since 1987 here in the Santa Clarita, San Fernando, Antelope Valley, and Ventura County areas. You can trust us for straight insights on making your system last.
How to Make Your HVAC System Last
Let’s begin with the principle of working smarter, not harder. Anything you can do to ensure your HVAC system has the easiest possible time doing its job is going to fit this bill.
Get a Smart Thermostat
The most gee-whiz of these snappy little devices doesn’t cost much, all things considered, and can make a very big difference in the service life of your HVAC system. A smart thermostat can do a lot for you.
- WiFi capable means it’s smartphone-app controllable, which is a huge advantage.
- Smart setback means it’s not just programmable for home and away modes but that it learns.
- Energy reports keep you in the know.
- Zoning features can control up to eight zones for ultra-efficiency.
The key to savings is not using the system when you don’t need it. Smart thermostats allow for huge savings in little increments of time that add up.
Upgrade Your Attic Insulation
Even the most high-tech HVAC system won’t amount to much if it’s installed in a structure that squanders all of the energy put into it. Many older homes don’t have attic insulation – a major cause of energy inefficiency.
And if your windows and doors don’t seal properly, your house is like a leaky boat. It will sink under the too-rapid exchange of inside and outside air, always struggling to hold its temperature.
HVAC System Cleanliness Is Key
An old, clogged filter will produce filthy ducts eventually, and the whole system will suffer from internal drag it was never meant to deal with. Not only that, but your interior air quality will suffer. Oftentimes, you’ll step to the thermostat to set the fan on RUN instead of AUTO, just to stir the air. If all you’re doing is circulating stagnant, contaminated air, though, nobody wins – least of all of your power bill.
How to Kill Your Air Conditioner Quickly
Just as there are many ways to keep it running, there are also many practices that cause mechanical suffering and lead to premature failure:
- Refrigerant too low or too high
- Dirty condenser coils
- Leaking ducts
- Closed vents
- Inefficient thermostat
- Dirty filter
One of the most important is the all-too-common closed vent in unused rooms. This increases pressure on the whole system of ducts and can even cause mold and mildew to grow behind the vent.
It’s best to talk to a professional about balancing the system properly in this case so that vents can be left open and it can run as it was designed to run.