Saving A Bundle On Air Conditioning

Tag : Performance Air Filters
Heating and cooling costs make up 56 percent of the energy bill ofthe typical American household. And, now that we're in the heat ofsummer, it's a good time to think about reducing the amount wespend on our air conditioners, to save some cold, hard cash.

On The Early Show Tuesday, consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen shared energy efficiency pointers to help your bottom line.

Koeppen's words of wisdom!:

CENTRAL AIR

Even if your unit is only 10 years old, you may save 20 - 40percent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer,more efficient model.

Proper sizing and installation are key elements in determining airconditioner efficiency. Too large a unit won't adequately removehumidity. Too small a unit won't be able to attain a comfortabletemperature on the hottest days. Improper unit location, lack ofinsulation, and improper duct installation can greatly diminishefficiency.

If you have a central air unit, make sure the condenser is locatedin a shady spot and has room to dispose of the heated air itremoves from your house. Don't crowd it with shrubs or anythingelse.

When buying a central air conditioning system, make sure the SEERnumber (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is 13 or better (14 inwarmer climates). The higher the SEER number, the more efficientthe system, and as we know, a less efficient system will cost youmore to run (get this: upgrading from SEER 9 to SEER 13, powerconsumption is reduced by 30 percent. It's claimed that this canresult in an energy savings valued at up to $300 per year.

Also, (and this goes for window units too), perform regularmaintenance on your air conditioning unit. Replace the filtermonthly during the cooling season, and have a professional serviceyour system at the beginning of each cooling season.

Finally, check with your state to see if it has any incentiveprograms for you to buy a more efficient unit.

WINDOW UNITS

It's all about finding an EnergyStar unit (which means that it's atleast 10 percent more energy efficient than the minimum federalgovernment standards).

You'll then want to figure out what size AC you need -- that is,how many BTUs you need, and that's pretty easy to figure out.According to the Department of Energy, you'll need about 20 BTUsper square foot of a room. If you get something smaller, you're notgoing to be able to cool the room appropriately, and you're goingto strain the heck out of your AC; if you get an AC that's too big,you're going to be wasting energy and throw money right out thewindow.

GET A CEILING FAN

Utilize fans as much as possible. If the temperature is justslightly uncomfortable, consider using an oscillating fan, orceiling fan if you have one. Just a slight breeze or circulationcaused by fans can make it feel a few degrees cooler. Even the mostpower-hungry fan costs less than $10 a month to use if you keep iton 12 hours a day. Good fans make it possible for you to raise yourthermostat setting and save on air-conditioning costs. Ceiling fanswill push air down toward the floor, circulating the air in yourhouse and helping to cool it more efficiently than running the airconditioner by itself.

This varies the temperature according to when you're home, and canhelp you save 10 - 20 percent on your energy bill. Set it for alower temperature when you're home. If you'll be gone for more thana few hours, it makes sense to set the air conditioning at a highertemperature while you're gone. Use a programmable thermostat thatadjusts your air conditioner's setting automatically. That enablesyou to stop cooling things down so much when nobody's home for longstretches of time, or at night when it's cooler outside. You canprogram the thermostat to increase the comfort level in your homeshortly before you wake up or return home from work.

The Early Show 's resident veteriinarian, Dr. Debbye Turner , says it's OK to turn the AC off when your pet is home alone. Shesays that, if your pet is perfectly healthy, you can let thetemperature reach up to 80 degrees, but if your dog is a littlesicker or has breathing problems, you'll want to lower that to keephim or her healthy and safe.