Global Cooling Tips

Green is the new energy standard for America and the world. And not just because we want to. The rising cost of energy and fuels has left us grasping for alternatives to lower our energy bills. There are many ways to save on energy through air conditioning:

• Replace your filter often. A system starving for air is an energy wasting machine.
  Filters have changed in the last several years. If a pleated filter is used now in your home, it must be dated when installed. Check it every 30 days to start and make a determination of whether or not it needs to be replaced by examining its condition. Then replace it based on your specific use patterns. There is no standard because every home use is different requiring different replacement dates. There are many quality ranges of filter too. Some are very basic which may be sufficient to protect your AC equipment. Others are designed to filter the air for breathing. These differences require different attention. Some older homes were not designed to accept the new pleated filters and the lack or air flow caused by their high quality. If you are unable to implement these procedures, Global Cooling offers a maintenance program  to ensure a clean and efficient system.
• Have the ductwork checked for leaks. Unfortunately, many older homes and even some new homes have had ducts come loose. Others were never sealed properly from the beginning. This allows the energy for cooling to be lost in the attic instead of being transferred to the home interior. This creates a waste of energy. Older ductwork may also be very thin and have a low R Value (thermal resistance, or the rate at which heat or cold passes through a particular item) because there was no alternative at that time. Today, thicker ductwork is available with increased R Value and can be a replacement to save wasted energy.
• Replacement of an Air Conditioning system is the most effective way to see dramatically lower energy bills, but comes with the highest outlay of financial resources. Keeping an older system running at tip top shape may be more cost effective than replacement. Especially, if you are not going to be living in the home for a long time. However, if the older system is experiencing constant failures, or expensive failures, replacement still may make sense for the long haul. Even if you are moving out of the home soon, you can factor the sale of a home with a new HVAC system as a selling advantage over other homes with older systems. We have several brands to choose from.
• Thermostats are a very good way to control the temperature and the amount of time that a system is on or off. Today there are a variety of programmable, digital and WI-FI thermostats. They can be set or changed, even if you are not at home, allowing for accurate settings at the touch of a button. This method of control saves on energy if used correctly. We are knowledgeable in the installation and set-up of high efficiency thermostats. See our section on Nest thermostats.
• Rebates and credits are also available from some Electric companies when you make efficient changes to your home. These may include AC, appliances, windows, insulation, etc. We highly recommend calling your local Electric Company for more information.
• Other viable options for saving energy are sealing windows, new windows, window coverings, doors, attic insulation, fireplace flues, the temperature setting of the thermostat, lighting fixtures or bulbs.