3 Ways to Lower Your Cooling Costs

happy familySummers in south Texas are hot and humid, which puts your air conditioner in the position of having to perform all day every day in most cases. Ideally, your system will be up for the challenge, though in most cases, higher energy bills are inevitable during the summer months. Be careful, however, that the inevitable reality of paying more for air conditioning during the hottest parts of the year masks the fact that you’re paying more than you should. A few tips and tricks can make a huge difference as far as those high monthly costs go.

1. A New Thermostat

Thermostats are designed to last a long time, and chances are you have a standard digital thermostat that’s been in place in your home for many years. (If you have an older mercury thermostat, you need to replace it right away. Mercury is poisonous and a mercury switch in your thermostat constitutes an active health hazard.) They make good value for the money, but there are a few catches to the equation: older thermostats don’t take advantage of some of the exciting advances in the field in the past few years.

More specifically, modern “smart” thermostats provide options such as advanced programming features and connection to your home’s Wi-Fi, which can give you a big edge over older models. Smart thermostats can analyze your cooling habits, for instance, and make little adjustments to your cooling schedule to cut down on the cost or adjust to reflect the local conditions outside your house. Other option include the ability to control your system from anywhere in the world via an app on your phone.

2. Zone Control Systems

For those interested in a more extensive upgrade, look into the possibility of zone control systems: a series of controlled shutters placed at key locations in your ducts, which divide your home into sections. The shutters can all be controlled independently of each other, allowing you to raise or lower the temperature of each section separate from the rest of the house.

This allows different family members to tailor the temperature to suit their needs without creating any squabbles around the thermostat. But it also means being able to shut the air off in some parts of the home while still running it in others. This can save you a great deal of money in summer bills, as well as reducing wear and tear on your system.

3. Maintenance

A maintenance session for your air conditioner is similar to a tune-up on your car: checking and adjusting little details like loose bolts and clogged filters, as well as checking for signs of more serious trouble that could affect your system in the future. This has two big benefits: it allows you to get an early jump on repairs and it cuts down on waste and inefficiency. If you haven’t scheduled maintenance in the last twelve months, now might be an excellent time to do so.

For top-notch air conditioning repairs and upgrades in the Austin, TX area, call Intelligent Air Services immediately!

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