Energy Efficiency Tips HVAC

Energy Efficiency Tips For Your HVAC System

The energy efficiency of an HVAC system is an extremely important factor to consider. It not only impacts the environment, but it impacts your wallet as well. The less efficient your HVAC system is the more energy you will waste to maintain a comfortable temperature. Wasted energy is as good as wasted money. It's particularly problematic during summer months when utility companies charge a premium for electricity.

There are several factors that will influence the efficiency of an HVAC system. The most significant factor is the technology used in the system. This is why newer systems are almost always more energy efficient than older systems. And some specific design types are slightly more efficient than others. Thus, the best method of improving energy efficiency is installing a newer energy efficient HVAC system.

Other factors that influence efficiency include the size of the system, the quality of the installation, and the type of maintenance it receives. Out of those three factors, maintenance is the most important for homeowners who don't plan on installing a new system. Ignoring very simple maintenance will greatly decrease the efficiency of your system and eventually cause it to stop functioning altogether.

How To Choose An Energy Efficient HVAC System

There are multiple types of HVAC systems commonly used today, and they are all very similar in terms of efficiency. Most homes use a standard heating, and air conditioning split system. This type of system takes advantage of a unit placed on the outside of the home that is connected to a unit on the inside of the home. The inside unit is connected to the furnace and is responsible for moving hot air outside of the home.

An alternative is the heat pump system. These systems run entirely on electricity and use a single heat pump to cool or heat the come. Heat pump systems are considered slightly less efficient than split systems. In general, any electric source of heat is going to be less energy efficient than a gas-fueled heat source, though the initial investment is almost always lower.

Ductless HVAC systems have become increasingly popular during the last decade. These have the advantage of allowing zone-controlled heating and cooling. You can focus on heating or cooling specific zones in the house with individual ductless systems and leave the others turned off. In comparison, a ducted system works to control the temperature in the entire home, which includes rooms that may not be in use.

With most of these systems, the initial investment is often higher when long-term running costs are lower. For example, the cost of installing a ductless unit in each room would be higher than installing a single split unit. But the energy efficiency of the ductless systems would ensure a much lower running cost over time if used properly.



Controlling energy efficiency doesn't stop after the installation. There are several tips that you can follow to improve or maintain the efficiency of a system over time. These tips will apply to nearly all types of energy efficient HVAC systems.

Tip 1: Don't Ignore Maintenance

Your HVAC system requires regular maintenance no matter the type. It is highly recommended that you have your system inspected, serviced, and cleaned at least once a year. It's even better to have it inspected twice: once during the Spring and once during the Fall. In between those times, you should check your air filters once a month and change them at least once every three months.

Tip 2: Upgrade The Thermostat

If you purchased a home with an older unit, then the equipped thermostat likely doesn't offer you much control. You may be able to adjust the temperature while you're there, but that's about it. Modern thermostats come with a lot of advanced features and can usually be controlled via a smartphone. This makes it easier to turn off the system when you are leaving home and then turn it back on shortly before you return. You'll save a considerable amount of energy compared to leaving it on the entire time.

Tip 3: Careful Temperature Control

Most people cannot detect temperature changes of only a few degrees Fahrenheit. But it can make a big difference in how much energy your system uses. The average HVAC system will consume almost 20 percent more energy at 75 degrees than it will at 78 degrees when it's hot outside. The closer you can set the temperature to the temperature outside the less energy you will waste. Experiment by adjusting the temperature one degree at a time until you find a comfortable setting. You might be surprised by how much money it will save.

Help From The Professionals

The HVAC contractor you trust with your system is going to have a big impact on the efficiency as well. It's often up to them to determine the right size of the system and to install it properly. They will also be handling the annual maintenance, which isn't going to improve the efficiency if not performed correctly. Make sure that you put forth an effort to work with the best in the business when it comes to your home's HVAC system.

What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need?

Air conditioners are incredibly useful for keeping your home at a comfortable temperature. If you live somewhere with very hot summers or that is very humid, then you will find that having a good air conditioner can be the difference between suffering through sweaty days and sleepless nights, or being comfortable at home all year round.

Getting the right unit

Air conditioners are complex machines, and it is important that you get the right type for your needs. If the air conditioner is too small or too large, then you will find that it doesn't run efficiently; you will be wasting power and sacrificing comfort too.

What happens if it is too small?

If you have an air conditioner that is too small, then you will find that it cannot effectively cool your home. It will run permanently, starting a cycle, monitoring the temperature of the air and never finishing that cycle because the air in your property doesn't reach the target temperature. A standard air conditioning unit's cycle should last 20-30 minutes. If yours runs for a lot longer than that, or will not stop running, then there is a high chance that your unit is too small. A unit that is too small costs more to run and will either leave you with a property that never quite gets cool enough or one where the temperature is patchy throughout the house.

Problems With Having Too Big of a Unit

If having too small of a unit is a problem, then one natural conclusion is just to buy the biggest unit that you can. Unfortunately, it is possible to have a unit that is too big. Bigger does not always mean better in the world of air conditioning.

If your AC unit is too big, then you may find that it is very noisy when in operation. The noise might be so bad that it keeps you awake at night. In addition, bigger air conditioning units will cool the air much more quickly, and that can cause humidity problems. With an air conditioner that is correctly sized, the air will cool as it passes over the unit's coil, and water vapor will form on the coil itself. When you have a unit that is too big, instead of the air reaching its dew point as it passes over the coil, it will condense more quickly, and this can lead to a sticky, humid feeling in your home. Having too much humidity often can lead to mold and dust mite problems.

In addition, just as a small air conditioner is inefficient because it is running all the time, powering a bigger air conditioner than you need is a waste of energy too. It is much less expensive to run an appropriately-sized air conditioner.

How to Determine the Perfect HVAC Unit Size

To determine the required power of an air conditioning unit, you need to perform a load calculation. This will give you a reading of 'BTUs' (British Thermal Units), which is the strength of the air conditioner. This takes into account several factors, including the area size, the number of people who are usually in the property and the number of windows the property has as well as what the rooms are used for. The formulas required to do this are quite complex since you will need to know the size of the property, the size of the windows, which direction the windows face, and the power and type of any appliances and lighting in the room.

You can find free HVAC Thermal Load Calculator tools online that will help you to perform these calculations. It is always a good idea to have your air conditioning contractor do the calculation for you, and if you have any concerns about the results that they come up with, sanity check them yourself later.

 

 

The Different Types of Units Available

There are several different kinds of air conditioner available, including central air conditioners and heat pumps which are designed to heat or cool the entire property, as well as ductless mini air conditioners, room air conditioners, and evaporative coolers. These all work slightly differently, and choosing the right type is as important as choosing the right size.

Room air conditioners can be mounted onto windows and are handy if your property is older and it would be hard to install a central air conditioner, or if you just want to cool one particular room. Ductless mini air conditioners are an excellent choice for very small areas as well. Evaporative coolers release moisture into the room as they work, which makes them a good choice for dry climates and for people who have certain respiratory conditions. These coolers are less effective in environments that are already humid, however, so it is prudent to seek advice from a specialist contractor before you spend a lot of money on a cooling system.