During summer in the St. Louis area, you typically rely heavily on your AC to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. But this can mean high energy bills and operating costs. If you are interested in exploring ways to improve indoor comfort and efficiency during the hot and muggy St. Louis summers, this article is for you. We discuss eco-friendly cooling focused on choosing energy efficient cooling solutions and maintaining a cool home without having to resort to extreme AC settings.
To get started, the first thing you can do to improve energy efficiency is to schedule a summer AC tune-up. This involves cleaning the air ducts, HVAC unit, and filters, which play a crucial role in maintaining indoor air quality and checking your AC’s overall performance to ensure optimal efficiency. To schedule a tune-up or maintenance in St. Louis, call Galmiche and Sons at 314-993-1110 or fill out our online form to schedule your HVAC maintenance.
Choosing Energy-efficient and Eco-friendly Cooling Systems
Efficient AC units consume less power to produce the same cooling output, slicing your utility bills and reducing carbon emissions. ACs have come a long way in terms of energy efficiency. To know if you are buying an energy-efficient and eco-friendly cooling system, here are some things to check for:
- Energy Star Certification: An easy way to determine if you are getting an energy-efficient AC (or any appliance) is to look for the Energy Star certification. Any AC model that has the Energy Star label is certified to save energy and money and protect the climate.
- SEER Value: The SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio is a measure of the energy efficiency of an air conditioner. The higher an AC’s SEER value, the more efficient it is compared to other models with the same cooling capacity. Therefore, a higher SEER rating is a mark of eco-friendly cooling. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the central AC and the lower the energy bills.
Other factors like the size of the AC unit, cooling capacity, and the St. Louis climate should also be taken into account when purchasing eco-friendly cooling systems. We can introduce you to the latest energy-efficient AC models and also help with AC sizing.
More Eco-friendly Cooling Options
If you aren’t ready to upgrade your HVAC system, eco-friendly cooling in summer is possible even with reduced AC use. Some tips you should follow include:
- Close your drapes and blinds to prevent sunlight from heating your home and making your AC work harder to keep you cool.
- Add a window film, which will allow natural light in but reflect a lot of the heat away from your home. The window film will also add an extra layer of insulation in the summer.
- Turn off and unplug appliances when they are not in use. Even phone chargers and small appliances generate heat.
- Plant shade trees and install awnings outside your home to reduce solar heat indoors.
- Weather stripping doors and windows not only stops cool drafts in winter but also prevents the escape of cool air in the summer.
For more comfortable and eco-friendly cooling, consider zoning AC systems that reduce energy consumption by eliminating over-conditioning in unused rooms and offer the flexibility to set different temperatures for different areas within your home, thus ensuring individualized comfort and energy-efficiency.
Contact Galmiche & Sons for Energy Efficient Cooling for Your St. Louis Home
Need more information on eco-friendly cooling system installation or a summer AC tune-up? Call Galmiche & Sons at 314-993-1110 or contact our heating and air conditioning experts online to learn more.
