When temperatures in St. Louis fluctuate from being hot in the summer to cold in the winter, the last thing you want to be having issues with is your air conditioner or furnace. Maintaining an efficient HVAC system in order to keep your home comfortable year-round can feel daunting, but we have provided some valuable tips and tricks to follow in order to make it as easy as possible to maintain your heating & cooling systems.
To learn more about keeping your heating & cooling system running efficiently and to schedule a heating & air conditioning system check up or service call in the greater St. Louis area call us today at 314-993-1110 or complete our online form.
Maintaining Heating & Cooling Comfort in Your Home
- Keep Up with Routine Maintenance: Your heating & cooling systems need maintenance throughout their lifetimes to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Getting professional maintenance done on a regular basis will ensure that your home is properly heated and cooled every season and help you stay on top of potential issues before they cause a significant problem with your system.
- Keep An Eye On Your Filters: Over time, the filters in your heating & cooling systems get dirty from constant use. Be sure to clean or replace them frequently, as often as once a month. Check your user manual or manufacturer’s recommendations for an ideal cleaning schedule. When filters accumulate dust and debris, they can block some of the cool or warm air from spreading into your home, which can increase heating & cooling costs, impact your comfort, and make the system work harder than it should. Maintaining clean filters will also help improve indoor air quality.
- Keep Ducts Sealed: Another easy way to keep your heating & cooling systems operating efficiently is to ensure all ducts that move air from the heat pump, air conditioner, and furnace are properly sealed. This prevents temperature-controlled air from being lost.
- Schedule an Annual Checkup: Schedule a yearly maintenance check with a qualified HVAC company. The service technicians will go over a checklist to review many parts of your heating & cooling units to ensure they are in good working order before the upcoming seasonal weather change.
- Utilize a Programmable Thermostat: This tip alone will save you significant money during the winter and summer months when you will be using your heating & cooling units the most. According to an article by Energy Star you can save up to $180/year in energy bills by properly utilizing a programmable thermostat and pre-programmed settings.
More Winter Tips for Heating Efficiency
- At the start of cooler temperatures, clean all of your baseboard heaters, radiators, and warm air registers, and ensure that furniture, carpet, or curtains are not blocking them.
- Keep your drapes closed to trap heat inside and prevent it from escaping out through windows.
- Close off unused areas of your home. Save money by keeping your attic, basement, and low traffic areas closed off so your heating system does not have to heat additional square feet.
- Consider upgrading to a heat pump system that is energy efficient. They provide three times more heat than energy they consume, and heat pump systems can reduce energy consumption by 30-40%.
More Summer Tips for Cooling Efficiency
- When the humidity is high, you can have better cooling results by setting your air conditioener fan speeds to low.
- Plant trees around your air conditioning unit to provide shade. Units use 10% less energy when operating out of direct sunlight.
- You can also utilize ceiling fans in the house to more effectively disburse air.
- Contrary to popular belief, decreasing the thermostat temperature more than usual does not speed up cooling. Avoid doing this to prevent your utility bill from increasing.
- Buy an appropriately sized air conditioner for the size of your home. Bigger does not mean better, and ensuring the cooling unit is the correct size for your home will maximize efficiency.
Contact Us to Find Out More About Heating & Cooling Tips for Your St. Louis Home
At Galmiche & Sons, we are here to help with all of your cooling and heating needs in the St. Louis area. Just give us a call at 314-993-1110 or fill out our contact form to speak with a heating & air conditioning expert!
