6 Cheap Ways to Lower your A/C Costs

Cooling, Summer, Tips & Tricks, , , , , , , ,
If you’re like most people in the central valley, you’re probably running your A/C system nonstop. If you’re not careful, it could quickly add up to a serious chunk of change. The good news is that there are a few easy ways to take the strain off your A/C system and lower your electric bill which don’t require big installations and long payback periods. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Seal up your home

Sealing air leaks in your floors, windows, and attic is something that most DIY-ers can handle without a lot of help. The EPA estimates that sealing your home can save up to 14% off your heating and cooling bill (or 8% off your total home energy costs) in the central valley.

2. Clean or replace your air filters

A dirty air filter can make your A/C system a lot less effective. Cleaning or replacing a dirty filter only takes a few minutes, and it will lower your A/C system’s power needs by 5-15%.

3. Trim around your A/C unit.

A/C systems require good air flow to run at their best, and cleaning the filter alone won’t bring air flow to 100%. If you have plants or weeds growing around your condenser, trim it back. Depending on the growth, savings could be comparable to cleaning your filter.

4. Use ceiling fans

Wind chill factor goes a long ways. Instead of trying to keep your entire home cool, turn on the ceiling fans in the rooms you’re actually using. You could look forward to savings of over $400 per year.

5. Run the dishwasher at night

Your dishwasher puts out more heat than you might realize, while also raising your home’s humidity. Wait to run your dishwasher after the sun goes down so your A/C system won’t have to work double duty. The same also goes for your washer & drier.

6. Schedule a regular A/C tune-up

You might think we’re a little biased, but we wouldn’t offer A/C tune-ups if they didn’t save you money. Not only is an A/C tune up a good way to prevent major breakages and improve the life of your system - we can also make sure your system is running at its best, so it isn’t drawing unnecessary power to do its job. Set up a regular A/C tune up today and enjoy the savings.

Tracy Tips and Tricks on Keeping AC Vents Clean

Cooling, Heating, Summer, Winter,
Residential and commercial heating and cooling systems are nearly similar in its functioning but the difference lies only in its size. It is important to clean AC vents so that you may not face any problem while using it. The air ducts in your house contains large amount of dirt, pollens, dust, debris, spider webs and other allergens which may harm your health and also can tax your pocket. So, here we are going toshare various tips and tricks that can help you clean air vents in your house and keep your system maintained.
Here’s what you need to do:

1. Turn off the main power that is connected to your heating or cooling system.

2. Unscrew the air duct covers from the walls. Use the brush to clean it thoroughly.

3. Use heavy duty vacuum to clean these AC vents/ducts and if you want to get your AC vents cleaned more thoroughly then take help ofexperienced professionals.

4. Keep in mind that if you haven’t cleaned it for a long time then you will have to wear a dust mask to protect yourself from all thedust and dirt that may fall down.

We hope that the information shared above may assist you to create a clean, healthy and hygienic environment both for the residential and commercial living.

How to tell if AC Air Ducts need a cleaning

Cooling, Heating, Summer, Winter
Do you breathe clean air?

Almost everyone will just give one thought to this question and say yes, definitely we breathe clean air.As we are very much aware of the fact that the temperature has been rising since the past few years, so for that air conditioners have become the main requirement in today’s time and almost used by everyone in residential and commercial areas but with constant usage of the product it needs to be maintained and cleaned. Air conditioners have ducts/vents which attract most of the dust, debris, pollens and other harmful germs. So, cleaning your return and supply of air ducts and diffusers, grilles, heating and cooling coils, fan motors, heat exchangers, drip pans and the air handling unit housing is a must. The air conditioning ducts in your HVAC system supply cool air to all the rooms. Most homeowners don’t give the air ducts ant attention, until they start noticing some unpleasant, foul and unexpected smell. From an increase in the sniffles and sneezes to an increase in utility costs, there are many signs that notify it is the time to clean the air ducts.Just like the other mechanical products, air ducts will also give the clear sign that it needs to be cleaned.

These sign includes:
  • Increase in the level of dust in your house.
  • Increase in the asthmatic symptoms or breathing problems without any cause.
  • Hike in monthly utility bills.
  • Foul smell all over your house.

It is important to keep in mind that dirty, mucky and dusty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of unhygienic particles that are present in homes. Pollutant that enters in the home both from indoor and outdoor activities such as smoking, cooking and cleaning, or just walking around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than stains the air ducts. You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if it’s been a long time. Thus, cleaning the air ducts will increase the efficiency of your system and also provide you a hygienic and healthy environment to live in with your near and dear ones and also clean air that is inhaled by you.

Getting Air Conditioner ready for summers in Tracy

Cooling, Heating, Summer, Winter, , ,
As soon as the scorching sun gets into its full swing with high humidity, you would surely want to know that your air conditioning unit works right and it is also significant to take into consideration the readiness of your air conditioning system. There are some simple steps that you can take to ensure that your system is working properly and efficiently. If you do not take the right and the most genuine steps to ensure that your AC works properly, you may find yourself in a great problem when the weather is sultry. We would provide you some information regarding how to get your system ready. It is of course a good idea to get your system visually inspected before turning it on as it may be possible that tree branches, debris or leaves may have fallen into this unit. It is important to check that the airflow around central conditioning unit which contains condenser and compressor is not obstructed or hindered.After taking a quick visual inspection, if it’s not that much warm and humid day, then go ahead and adjust your thermostat to the cooling mode now and run your air conditioner to ensure that it is working the way it should work.

If you are thinking of replacing your AC then look for an ENERGY STAR® model. The cooling cost can be reduced up to 20% by replacing an inefficient and old air conditioner with high efficiency system. The easiest way for the AC maintenance is to replace the filters once a month to keep your AC working. The condensation lines should be cleanedso that you may not face problems and pay big repair bills. Try to install a new thermostat and clean the coils, fins on the outside unit. Check the ductwork to look-out for the leaks, holes and disconnected joints.While performing all these simple steps you could get your air conditioners prepared for summers without any issues.