Lower AC Costs | AC Repair Katy
Reducing AC Costs | AC Repair Katy
In this article we continue with part 2 of reducing the workload on the home’s air conditioning system, thereby increasing your comfort, reducing AC costs for your home, while reducing wear on the system, as well as the frequency of AC repair in Katy.
Attic, Floor and Wall Insulation
Numerous American homes are deficient in insulation. This doesn’t mean a home was built substandard. It is merely a reflection in the change of insulating guidelines. As environmental change continues to occur, numerous regions of our nation are experiencing colder winters and hotter summers, making the need for adequate insulation more important than ever.
A general guideline for attic insulation is if you can see the ceiling rafters, your attic is under-insulated, and is costing you money on energy costs. In addition, the additional strain upon the air conditioning system is causing increased wear as it must run more often. The correct level of insulation in your home will increase comfort, reduce energy costs, as well as reducing the wear that will lead to an increased frequency of AC repair in Katy.
While insulating most attics presents no problems, insulating the walls in an existing home is an entirely different matter. Unless you are remodeling and opening up the walls, it is a project with varying results. Some homes achieve the needed insulation without a hitch, while others end up with gaps and little or no benefit.
If you live in a lovely, but cold un-insulated older home and can afford it, having the old siding removed down to the walls is the best means of insulating them.
Today it is recommended for floors with a crawl space underneath, or unconditioned basement space to be insulated as well.
Ceilings
The ceiling may be a source of air intrusion around light fixtures. Expanding foam is a good product for sealing these holes up. Properly Insulating and Sealing Ductwork
If your duct work is located in an unconditioned space it should be properly insulated and sealed to prevent the loss of heating and cooling. Most ductwork is sealed with aluminum tape when installed (duct tape should not be used on ductwork). The tape is incredibly resistant to environmental factors, but can loosen, allowing the conditioned air within to escape. This loss of conditioned air will elevate energy costs, and increase the workload on the HVAC system, reducing its service life and increasing the need for more frequent AC repair in Katy.
Other Air Intrusions
Air intrusions may occur around any cables, water lines, drain pipes and vents. Expanding foam is a great product to seal all but those which are hot, such as a furnace flue, chimney or gas water heater flue. These require a special high temperature sealant to avoid the risk of a fire.
Kitchen and bathroom vent fans are a potential source of significant air intrusion. Replace them with a more efficient model to save energy dollars as well as to prevent stress on your HVAC system resulting in the increased need for AC repair in Katy.
Attic Ventilation
Attic ventilation enables the hot air in the attic to escape or to be removed. Ventilation can be passive as in vents, or active as with an attic fan. If heat from the attic is heating up your home, an attic fan is the best choice for reducing its effect in the living space. Select a model with oil ports to enable frequent oiling of the motor for the longest service life. Attic heat is one of the most common causes of an unnecessary workload on air conditioning, that results in an increase in the number of AC repair in Katy.
Keep the area surrounding your outside air conditioning unit free of overgrown grass, weeds or any other objects that may impair its airflow. The lack of airflow will overload the unit and damage it, creating the need for AC repair in Katy.
We hope you found this article to be informative. Cypress Heating and Air Conditioning is just a phone call away for all of your heating and air conditioning needs, including AC repair in Katy. Thanks for visiting us online.
