Air Conditioning in Waterloo and Listowel
Are you in the market to upgrade your home’s cooling system? Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out the best fit for your family's cooling needs. When those summer temperatures creep up, your family is going to be looking for relief! And as a homeowner, you want to be comfortable and energy-efficient.But where do you start? Don’t worry,...
Are you in the market to upgrade your home’s cooling system? Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out the best fit for your family's cooling needs. When those summer temperatures creep up, your family is going to be looking for relief! And as a homeowner, you want to be comfortable and energy-efficient.But where do you start? Don’t worry, in this blog, we’ll explore the best ways to improve your home’s cooling efficiency.
At Cross Heating & Air Conditioning, our technicians are highly skilled, knowledgeable, and trained to give you the best advice and service when it comes to cooling your home.
Ways to Improve Cooling Efficiency for Central AC
Many people in Ontario already rely on central air conditioning to keep them cool against the summer heat. And that's because central AC is an efficient way to cool multiple areas within your home from one source.
A central AC system includes an air intake unit that sits outside your home and is connected through the venting in your roof or walls. Inside, the space where your furnace is located is usually where your central AC will feed into your home’s ducts.
Canadians are always looking for new ways to go green (and save money on energy bills). So is there anything that can be done to improve your central AC’s cooling efficiency?
Choose a System With a High SEER Rating
Today there are many equipment choices for central air conditioners in Ontario. When selecting or upgrading a central AC system, choose one with a high SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating that fits your budget and cooling requirements.
The annual cooling efficiency of a central AC unit is affected by the manufacturer’s choice of features and components. The more efficient an air conditioner is, the higher the SEER rating. SEER ratings for residential air conditioners usually range between 10-17.
A high-efficiency ENERGY STAR air conditioner requires a SEER rating of at least 13. These models can use up to 20% less energy than the air conditioners of old.
If you want to maximize your home’s ability to cool quickly with minimum wasted energy, start with highly-rated equipment recognized as an efficiency leader.
Small Changes, Big Results
Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference when it comes to efficiency.
For example, you can use fans to help move air around the room. In the summer, hot air rises.
This means heat collects and stagnates in a room, causing your AC to expend more energy to
cool your living area. A ceiling or portable fan will help disperse this hot air, lowering your cooling
costs.
Another efficiency tip is to simply keep your blinds closed during the day. Those hot summer rays come through the windows and can heat the rooms in your home quicker than you think!
Keep Your HVAC Filters Fresh
Clogged air filters are going to slow down airflow and force your air conditioner to work harder to reach the desired temperature. When an air filter is visibly dirty or blocked with dust and debris, it’s time to swap in a fresh one.
A good rule to follow is to replace your air conditioner filter every 3 months.
Service Your Ducts for Better Flow
Another way to improve your home’s cooling efficiency is to make sure that cool air isn't lost along the way. Metal ducts expand and contract over time with the temperature extremes in Ontario. They may become damaged or develop cracks and gaps.
Having your ducts serviced annually makes sure that these spaces for air to escape are noticed and fixed. Cleaning your ducts regularly also improves your indoor air quality when using either your air conditioner or furnace.
Get an Annual Air Conditioning Tune-Up
The best way to know if your air conditioner is performing its very best is to have a professional HVAC technician inspect your cooling system each year. An AC specialist can make sure that all the components of your air conditioner are ready for another summer and coolant levels are topped off.
Professional annual maintenance is also a great way to identify any potential trouble spots and remedy the problem before it becomes a more serious inefficiency!
Consider Going Ductless
Want to stay cool in the rooms you frequent the most? Ductless air conditioning may be a good fit for you, and you’ll never worry about wasting money or energy on rooms you and your family never use.
The leading ductless air conditioning brands offer unsurpassed efficiency and flexibility. A ductless AC system can focus on one-room cooling or keep more areas of your home chilly with a multi-zone installation.
If you already have ductwork for your furnace, central AC will have lower initial installation costs. But for homeowners that need only localized cooling, the long-term energy saving of ductless air conditioning may be enticing.
Benefits of Increased Cooling Efficiency
Why is being more efficient a big deal? Well, it’s better for the natural world and better for your pocketbook! Upgrading your home’s AC usually requires some spending upfront, but the benefits are long-lasting and occur month after month.
Better for the Environment
High-efficiency air conditioning units, whether they be central AC or ductless, reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Here in Canada, air conditioning units must meet minimum efficiency standards before they are imported into Canada or shipped across provinces.
Slowly but surely, old AC technology, components, and chemicals are phased out as governments push towards a greener future. As of 2020, it’s no longer legal to produce or import refrigerant R-22, a popular chemical for air conditioning in older units. Newer, more eco-friendly units are using alternative refrigerants.
Save Money on Energy Bills
Cooling your home costs money. A properly sized unit with a high SEER will run more efficiently, saving you money on your utility bills each month.
Just how much money? Well, let’s take an old-school air conditioner with a SEER of say 8 and compare that to a new high-efficiency air conditioner with a SEER rating of 18. The savings could be up to 40% on your monthly energy bill!
Newer air conditioners simply run cleaner and more efficiently.
Calm, Cool, & Collected, All Summer Long
The last thing anyone wants is to walk into a whole-home sauna in the middle of a heatwave. But you also don’t want it to cost an arm and a leg to keep your home comfortable. So make sure to rotate in clean AC filters and have your cooling system serviced before each AC season.
Join the Cross Advantage Program and enjoy the convenience of regular maintenance, and discounts on installation and repair of your high-efficiency home cooling system.
Give Cross Heating & Cooling a call today improve your home’s cooling efficiency, and keep your family calm, cool, and collected all summer long!
