Two Tips For Improving Your Air Conditioning System's Energy Efficiency

The home's heating and cooling system can be one of the most energy-intensive devices in your home. Not surprisingly, there are many people that want to improve the efficiency of their systems. While replacing an older system with a new one can accomplish this, it is also a sizable investment. Before committing to completely replacing your heating and cooling system, you should follow these tips to see if they improve your system's efficiency. 

Have Your Ducts Insulated And Sealed

Most heating and cooling systems rely on a series of ducts running throughout the home to move the heated or cooled air. Unfortunately, these ducts can be a major source of energy loss because there are often gaps that allow the conditioned air to escape and outside temperatures may convectively cool or heat the air inside the ducts. 

To mitigate these issues, you should have your ducts sealed and insulated. This will entail using a special epoxy or tape around all the joints in the ducting. Additionally, the ducts will be covered with a layer of insulation to help keep the air inside the duct from being heated or cooled before it reaches its final destination. 

Have Your Air Conditioning System Professionally Cleaned

Over time, your exterior air conditioning unit can have a substantial amount of dirt and dust accumulate on its interior. These particles can inhibit the flow of air into the home and they can impede the movement of the mechanical parts of the air conditioning system. This can drastically reduce the efficiency of the system, which can result in both higher energy costs and additional wear on the system. 

While spraying the system with a garden hose may remove much of this debris, it will not remove all of it. You will need to have a professional disassemble the exterior unit to thoroughly clean all of the components. This type of work can be somewhat expensive to have done, but it will only need to be done every few years and it can drastically improve the performance of your system. 

Understanding how to reduce the energy use of your home's air conditioning system can be a practical skill for you to have. By understanding the importance of having sealed and insulated ducts as well as the benefits of having the unit cleaned every few years, you may be able to avoid needing to invest in an entirely new air conditioning system. Visit a site like http://www.coeheatcool.com for more information on HVAC services you might need.