ENERGY BOOMER

Why More Insulation in Your Walls Doesn’t Help AC Bills

Adding extra insulation to your house walls is a waste of money, if you live where air conditioning bills are more than your winter heating bills.

Adding insulation in the walls of your home is not a very effective way to lower cooling energy use. Field tests have found that walls are only 5% to 10% of all the cooling loads in the average home.

About twice as much solar heat as gets into your house through the attic than through the walls. Investing money to lower attic temperatures makes much more sense for folks with high air conditioning bills.

Walls are not exposed to large amounts of solar radiation because so many things shade them (roof overhangs, landscaping, buildings, and awnings).  Also, the summertime sun is higher in the sky, so most of the solar heat hits your roof not your walls.

The outdoor air temperature is the heat exposure for walls.  During the summer, there is usually little temperature difference between the indoors and the outdoors. Typically, the difference is only 15 to 20 degrees.

Stick with the building code-recommended level of wall insulation (R-5 [block] to R-13 [frame]). Don’t spend money on more wall insulation. Use your resources to plant shrubs, trees, and other kinds of shading devices. Blocking the sunshine is more effective than more insulation.

If you live, where winter heating bills are as big as or bigger than your summer air conditioning bills, wall insulation is a priority. If the winter outdoor temperature averages 20 and you keep it 70 degrees in the house, there is a 50-degree difference.

Than much temperature difference, makes heat flow through the walls more expensive. More wall insulation is worth the cost to protect from very cold winter air.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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AIR CONDITIONER COVERS SAVE ON HEATING BILLS

The best thing to do is to remove window air conditioners for the heating season. That way you can do a good job of sealing the window to keep heat in and cold out. But, if you choose to leave that heavy monster in the window, it will waste money on your heating bill unless you cover it.

Window air conditioners are designed to help ventilate your house with some outdoor air. The solid parts of the machine housing are made of metal that transfers heat very well. That means they do a poor job of blocking the flow of expensive heat out of your home.

Most folks think that air conditioner covers are intended to protect the outdoor parts of the machine from harsh winter weather. Actually, air conditioners are made to endure the weather. A cover on the outside of an air conditioner does look nicer and it keeps the paint from fading over the winter.

The real money savings is blocking the cold wind from blowing into the house. To do that the outdoor air conditioner cover needs to completely cover the unit and seal to the house.

I suggest using something like packaging tape to seal all the edges of the cover to the house. Looks doesn’t count for energy savings. You want some kind of tape that will seal well but peel off, in the spring, without damaging the house.

An outdoor AC cover needs to be a wind barrier only.

Save the insulation for indoors where it can block the escape of heat. A cover for the indoor part of a window air conditioner needs to both block air movement and insulate.

Think of an indoor air conditioner cover as a quilt to keep the warm comfort inside your home. There are store bought indoor air conditioner covers available to do the job.

You can make your own so it matches the décor of the room. An ideal indoor AC cover would have these features:

1.    Air tight layer facing outdoors to seal the cold air out

2.    Good thermal insulation to slow the escape of heat

3.    A reflective foil layer to reflect heat back into the room

4.    Pleasing appearance in the room

I have seen some foil bubble wrap packaging material that is intended to protect items in shipment form temperature changes.

They would make a great indoor air conditioner cover with the addition of decorator fabric on the room side.

To be most effective, an indoor air conditioner cover needs to be sealed around the edges to complete the weather seal.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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NO COST WAYS TO SAVE ON AIR CONDITIONING

Here is a list of things you can do right now, without spending any money, to cut your air conditioning bill.

 

Save With the Thermostat You Already Have

• Set the thermostat for your central air conditioning system at the highest comfortable setting (78-80 degrees F is recommended).  If you normally set it at 72 degrees F, raising it to 78 degrees F should save between 12 and 47 percent in cooling costs, depending on the climate where you live. Be reasonable, if you are willing to pay for comfort, set it where you are comfortable. Keep it up at 76 during the day and lower at night if that is what it takes to keep you healthy and rested. If you want to save every penny, sell the air conditioner. Pick a setting that you can live with and leave it alone.
• Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner.  It will NOT cool faster.  It WILL cool to a lower temperature than you need and use more energy. Dialing it down will waste your money. The machine will remove heat just as fast as it can and no faster.
• If you have a heat pump, pick a temperature you can live with and do not change it. Heat pumps are very efficient, but they respond to changes very slowly. Leave the thermostat alone once you settle on a temperature you can enjoy. Do not dial it down for the night.
• Do not position heat-producing appliances, such as televisions or lamps, near the thermostat that controls your air conditioner.  The heat they produce "fools" the thermostat and causes the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Save by Keeping the Heat Out

•  Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient lights, especially when you have the air conditioner running. Lights generate a significant amount of heat. At least 90% of the electricity that you bringing into the house ends up as heat that the air conditioner must remove to maintain the temperature where you want it. Read more about it in this old article SAVE ON AIR CONDITIONING BY REPLACING OLD LIGHT BULBS
• In the cooling season, draw draperies, blinds, and shades indoors to keep out direct sunlight. For more on this read FIGHT SOLAR HEATING TO CUT YOUR AIR CONDITIONING BILL
• Close doors and vents of unused rooms to avoid cooling these areas.
• Use your storm windows to keep the heat out in hot weather.
• Avoid using electric appliances in hot weather. Cook outdoors if you can. Call me to sample the food from your barbecue. If you must cook indoors, use a microwave oven.

Use Fans or Natural Ventilation When You Can

• Under appropriate weather conditions in the cooling season, use window fans mounted in windows to exhaust hot air that accumulates indoors during the day and, reversed at night, to pull in cooler outdoor air. Blowing the hot air out of an upstairs window will help cool the whole house. Check the wind direction and have your fans move air in the same direction.
• When possible, use fans to keep cool instead of an air conditioner.  Fans consume only a small fraction of the energy of an air conditioner.  For more on saving with fans read this SAVE YOUR MONEY WITH FANS AND AIR CONDITIONING
•  If your ceiling fans are reversible, be sure to reverse the direction at the start of the cooling season so that the blades turn to create a downdraft. Read this so you will know how to run your ceiling fan to save your money WHICH WAY SHOULD MY CEILING FAN RUN?
• To operate your air conditioner unit more efficiently, turn on your ceiling fans.  These fans create air movement across the skin, lowering skin temperature through evaporation.  The homeowner can raise the A/C thermostat setting up 4 degrees F without any decrease in comfort.  Each degree you raise the thermostat up will save about 7-8 percent on your electric bill. The hotter the weather gets the faster the fans should run.
• If you plan to leave for a few minutes or more, turn the ceiling fans off.  Letting a fan run wastes energy and does nothing to cool the room. In fact, the heat from the fan motor actually warms the room a little. The fan only helps when there is someone in the room to enjoy it.

Save with “Do It Yourself” Maintenance

• Clean or replace filters regularly on air conditioners; keep outside units free from leaves or debris that may clog vents.
• Clean the outside condenser coils of your heat pump or central air conditioner. It is OK to hose off the outdoor part of your air conditioner or heat pump, even while it is running.

Save with the Way You Operate Your Air Conditioner

• Set the fan speed of your air conditioner on high, except in very humid weather.  When it's humid, set the speed on low; you will get slower cooling but more moisture will be removed from the air. Dryer air will make you feel cooler. 
• Turn off your air conditioner when you leave home for an hour or longer. Read this to find out why SAVE MONEY; SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN YOU ARE GONE. Leave your heat pump running unless you will be gone for more than a day.

by Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved

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SAVE ON AIR CONDITIONING BY REPLACING OLD LIGHT BULBS

The heat made by old fashion light bulbs adds to the work your air conditioner needs to do to keep you home cool. If you have not switched to fluorescent lighting for your home, you are wasting money two ways. You are paying more than you should for light and paying more than you should for air conditioning.

The light bulb that Thomas Edison invented is a good heater.

It changes about 90% of the electrical energy that it uses into heat. The little bit of energy that is left gets changed into light. We all know that if you touch one of these bulbs when it is on you will get burned.

If we lived in a very cold climate and electricity was cheep light bulbs would be a good way to heat your house. But, it is not cold here in the summertime and electricity is expensive.

In low ceiling areas, like our homes, fluorescent lamps are a good choice. Plus, they don’t get as hot. Fluorescent lamps only change about 30% of the electricity that they use into heat. A bigger share of the power they use is changed into light. The result is you get the light you need at a lower cost and reduce the internal heat load in your home.

That makes them a good choice for lighting your house. They cost more to buy than standard light bulbs but they save money because they use less electricity and last much longer.

Changing to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) when your light bulbs burn out is one way to lower your energy bill. A better way is to replace the good bulbs in the lamps that are turned on the most with compact fluorescent lamps. Kitchen and living room lights are a good place to start. Keep replacing lamps until they are all changed over.

A light that is turned off when not needed makes no heat and adds nothing to your home the electric bill.

It works the same way at work too.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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WHY DOES MY AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR COIL FREEZE?

If the evaporator coil, on your air conditioner, starts making ice, it will still run. When it ices up it runs but does not cool the house. The evaporator coil is the cold part of the air conditioner.

The evaporator coil is hidden inside the ductwork above your furnace in a central air conditioning system. On a window or split unit, the evaporator coil is the part inside the house.

A frozen evaporator costs money on your electric bill.

When the evaporator coil freezes, the air conditioner continues to run wasting energy. It does not cool the house it just makes more ice.

If evaporator coil did not freeze until after your unit was serviced, it is likely that the service technician put in too much refrigerant.

Too much or too little refrigerant makes air conditioners work inefficiently, wasting your money. Too much refrigerant can cause icing of the evaporator coil.

If your air conditioner has always made ice or only makes ice some of the time, the problem is likely to be airflow.

The evaporator coil needs to have enough warm air passing through it to keep it from freezing. If the air is not warm enough or there is not enough airflow, the evaporator temperature will drop below freezing.

An air conditioner is not a refrigeration unit.

If you try to make the air in your house too cool, it will not be able to keep the evaporator coil above freezing. Air conditioners are designed to make a house no colder than 72 degrees. Set your thermostat at 74 degrees or higher and the evaporator should not freeze.

If your evaporator coil still freezes when the thermostat is set at 74 or higher, then you may have an airflow problem. The evaporator needs to have enough warm air passing through it to keep it above freezing.

1. Replace dirty air filters to help the airflow.
2. Make sure all outlets are open and that the registers are not blocked. You must keep newspapers, magazines and furniture off the air outlets to allow full airflow.
3. Make sure all return air grills are open and clean.
4. Clean the coil of the evaporator to help the air flow through.
5. Make sure that dampers inside of the ductwork do not choke the airflow.

An oversize air conditioner may be the cause of freezing.

The problem may be the air conditioner is so over size that the rest of the system cannot provide enough airflow. The bigger the air conditioner the more airflow it needs to keep from freezing up.

To keep the evaporator above freezing, you may need to change some equipment. Possibilities include speeding up the air mover blower (furnace fan), installing a register booster fan or up sizing the ductwork.

Another possibility is to have an electrician add a clip on thermostat to the evaporator coil. It will shut the air conditioner off when the temperature nears freezing. The air conditioner will cycle on and off more often but it will not freeze.

Good Luck.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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SAVE YOUR MONEY WITH FANS AND AIR CONDITIONING

Using a fan while using the air conditioner will save you money on your electric bill. Yes, using them both will keep you cooler and use less energy than using just one. It is like fighting high electric bills with a one two punch.

Use the air conditioner to cut the humidity and cool just a little.

Set your thermostat at 78 degrees so that that you air conditioner will run just enough remove moisture from the air. On hot days, the 78-degree setting will cool the house just a little while keeping the humidity down so the air feels cooler.

Use fans to cool people by wind chill.

When we feel a breeze, we feel cooler because our natural cooling system works faster. Wind blowing cool dry air at us evaporates our sweat faster and removes excess body heat making us feel better.

The wind does not actually make it any cooler it just makes humans and pets feel cooler. We can make our own wind chill by using electric fans to make the wind for us.

For a fan to work its magic, we need to feel the air move.

Ceiling fans should blow the air down directly at someone. Other fans should be aimed right at a person to be effective.

Fans do use energy and the fan motor actually adds heat into the room, but the cool feeling that they provide outweighs the cost.

The savings comes from keeping the actual temperature fairly high at 78 while feeling cool due to the wind the fan makes.

Shut the fan off when no one is there.

When there is no one there to feel it there is no benefit to running a fan. A fan running in an empty room does no good and it costs money on the electric bill.

Fans work like lights. When you leave a light on in an empty room, it cost money and adds heat to the room. Same thing with a fan. A fan running in an empty room moves the air but it wastes money because no one feels it.

When you leave a room shut off the lights and fans to save energy.

If you will be away from home for more than one hour, shut the air conditioner off to save money. Leaving an air conditioner running in an empty home is a waste of energy.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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SAVE ENERGY ON AIR CONDITIONING BY DOING AN INSIDE JOB

Today I happened look at one of our floor registers in our home and noticed that it was not fully open. Not only that, there was a tangle of extension cords on top of it helping to block the airflow.

One of the ways we can waste our money on air conditioning is to choke off the airflow. A dirty filter or a register that is not fully open makes the air conditioner run longer than needed to get its job done. Anything that reduces the flow costs you money.

Oops, busted says the Energy Boomer. The register that I am talking about is the one located about two feet behind me as I am typing this.

I took the register up and played with the dampers that were obstructing the airflow. Then I looked down into the hole in the floor into the ductwork. An enterprising spider had constructed a web so well that it trapped dust and dirt just like an air filter. I had an extra filter that was slowing down the airflow.

After vacuuming out the ductwork, untangling the extension cords and fixing the register I could feel the improvement in the amount of air flowing out of that register.

Take a few minutes to check all the air registers in your house. Clear the magazines and newspapers away from them. Move the furniture a little to clear the airflow. Don’t forget to do the same for the return air registers too. Take the register covers off. Then poke the crevice tool on your vacuum cleaner into the ductwork as far as you can to clean it out.

Sounds like a lot of work on a hot day, but it is an inside job where your AC is keeping you cool. Remember its may be work but it will save your money on the electric bill.

The better the airflow the lower your electric bill will be. It is ok to block a register in an unused room in the winter, but I do not recommend it in hot weather. The more air flow through your air conditioning system the better it will do its job.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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SAVE MONEY DO NOT RUN YOUR AIR CONDITIONER AND DEHUMIDIFIER TOGETHER

Air conditioners and dehumidifiers both squeeze moisture out of the air in your house. Many folks have both appliances because the weather is both hot and humid where they live.

Dehumidifiers do two things when they are running. Their main mission is to remove the moisture from the air and turn it into water that can be drained away. The other thing they do is heat the house. They do not operate at 100% efficiency. The wasted energy is discharged as heat. The wasted electrical energy is turned into heat that is vented inside the house.

In the wintertime, taking excess moisture out of the air and putting heat into the house are both good.

In the hot weather, the heat generated in the house is all wasted. The waste is doubled when the air conditioner has to work harder to kick the heat out of the house.

Running the dehumidifier and the air conditioner together will hit your electric bill for double the amount of heat put out from the dehumidifier.

The best example that I remember, happened when I was working at a shipyard in Virginia. I was following up on a complaint that the air conditioner was not cooling one of the break rooms like it should.

When I got there, I found a window type air conditioner sitting on a crate in the middle of the room. The air conditioner was running just fine with cold air blowing out one end and water dripping into a bucket at the other end.

As the air conditioner continued to run, the room kept getting hotter and hotter. The unit was blowing more hot air out the back end than cold air out the front end. Dehumidifiers are set up to run exactly the same way.

Using a dehumidifier in cool weather is a good thing. When the weather is hot, switch off your dehumidifier and run a properly installed air conditioner all by itself. It will both cool and dehumidify.

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7 Exercises to Get Your Home in Shape for Summer

Some of folks are sweating it out in the gym, trying to get in shape for that trip to the beach. As the weather is getting warmer, it is also a good time to get your house in shape for the summer cooling season.

There are exercises you can do to conserve energy and improve the efficiency of your home air conditioning. By following this exercise program, your house will be in better shape to handle those hot, humid days without putting an extra burden on your energy bill.

Exercise  One

Set your thermostat to a higher temperature in the summer. 76 is good, 78 is better. Consider installing a programable thermostat. This is a great way to match the cooling needs of your home to your personal schedule. They typically offer savings of 10%–15% without compromising personal comfort.

Exercise Two

Replace filters on your air conditioner. For homes with central air, it is important to change the filter before the start of the cooling season and on a monthly basis thereafter. Dirty filters restrict airflow and can cause the system to run longer and work harder, increasing energy use. Dirty air filters can cause your air conditioner to make ice instead of cool air.

Exercise Three

Plug air leaks in your home. Weather strip and caulk any leaky doors and windows. Use storm windows and doors.

Exercise Four

Add insulation in attics. This will not only help to conserve energy, but will improve household comfort.

Exercise Five

Use green leafy sunscreen. Leafy trees and shrubs placed on the south and west side of your home can provide shade during the peak daytime heat. You can also reduce heat buildup by keeping window blinds and curtains closed on windows facing the sun. Awnings and solar screens can help too.

Exercise Six

Consider cooling alternatives for your home. Fans and dehumidifier use less energy than air conditioners and can help to boost comfort by reducing cutting levels and giving a cooling breeze.

Exercise Seven

Replace old air conditioners with new models that have higher energy efficiency. Energy Star rated air conditioners cost more, but can pay for themselves by lower energy use over the lifetime of the equipment.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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Special Report How to Save Money on Air Conditioning

Announcing a Special Report from the Energy Boomer: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

This 62 page money saving report is now available, at a low bargain price.

I used this information in this report to cut my own summer time electric bill. You can too.

Click the link below for more information.

Special Report How to Save Money on Air Conditioning

WHY DOES MY AIR CONDITIONER ICE UP?

Air conditioner freeze up is cause by a couple of problems.

1. You may be running low on refrigerant. Low refrigerant levels can make the cold coil too cold. Call for help from your local AC service folks. Fix the refrigerant leak and fill it up.

2. You may not have enough airflow to keep the cold coil warm enough. Think of the warm air from your house as heating up the cold coil to keep it above freezing. If there is not enough airflow the coil gets too cold and starts to freeze the condensed water before it can drain away. Check for a dirty filter. Make sure that you registers are all open and clear so air can flow freely. Shutting cold air outlets in some rooms can end up costing you money when the AC freezes up.

3. Make sure the fan is actually moving air when the AC is running. Check that the fan is running fast enough. When I had a new furnace installed, the service tech set the fan wiring to run a medium speed. Changing to high-speed stopped AC freeze ups.

4. If your AC runs all night on cool nights it may freeze as well as waste money. You may have a bad thermostat.

5. If you let the AC continue to run after the coil freezes up you are wasting money and risking damage to the compressor. It is the most expensive part of the air conditioner.

If your air conditioner is making ice, you may have a drainage problem. When the coil thaws out the water has to go somewhere.

When the hot sweaty air hits the cold coil of the air conditioner, it not only cools the air it squeezes out the moisture.

In humid weather, the air conditioner will condense a lot of the water vapor into liquid that should be drained outside. If the water builds up in the drip pan under the cold coil of your AC it will start to freeze. The ice will block the drain hole.

An overflowing drip pan is the result of a frozen evaporator coil, not the cause of the icing.

When the drain hole is plugged on a window unit, two ugly things can happen.

1. A freeze up that stops the AC from cooling your home.

2. If the unit is level or tilted the wrong way, water will leak into the living space of your home. You will have a wet mess inside the house when all the ice melts and the water runs in.

When freezing starts, ice grows up the cold coil. As time goes on the ice grows up the coil, defying gravity, until the air passages through the coil are blocked. That stops the flow of cold air into your house. The air conditioner still runs, using up expensive electricity, but the temperature in the house goes up.

The AC can not cool the house because the flow of cold air is blocked by the ice. Even if you can not see it, you can tell it is iced up when the unit runs but there is little or no air moving.

When you have a freeze up it is time for action:

1. Shut the AC off.

2. On a window unit gently wedge the AC housing up inside so it will drain outward. If it drains inside you will have a mess when all that ice melts.

3. While you are waiting for the ice to melt, locate the drain and make sure it is clear.

4. Go outside and clear the drain hole on the outdoor end of your window unit.

5. Think about opening up the ductwork on your central Air Conditioner so you can suck the excess water out using your wet/dry shop vacuum. Vacuum out the drain line to make sure it is clear. Switch the hose around on the vacuum and blow through the drainpipe to make sure it is clear.

6. You can either let the ice melt on its own or help it along with a hair dryer. On the other hand, you can run the fan to help thaw it out once part of the frozen coil is open to let some of the airflow to pass through. This will speed up the melting of the ice. The price is more electricity wasted and moisture is blown into the house.

7. After the ice is gone and the pan drained, switch on the air conditioner. It should start cooling right away.

Ice prevention means keeping the drain open.

If you have a window type AC, it should be tilted ever so slightly. It should be high indoors and low outdoors. There is a drip pan built in the floor of the AC cabinet to catch the condensed water.

The water should run toward the outdoors end of the AC unit. There is a drain hole, some where at the outboard end to let it drip to the ground. Some units have a fitting for a pipe or hose to direct the water where you want it. The ground under the AC is a good place to plant flowers or vegetables to benefit from the watering.

Make sure that the drain hole is clear so the water can get out.

Central air conditioning has a cold coil hidden in side the ductwork by the furnace. It has a drip pan under it to catch the water and a drainpipe that should run to a floor drain.

It is a good thing when you see water running out of the drainpipe. If it is not coming out the drain then it is going somewhere it should not be. If it drains down inside the furnace, it will cause rusting of the furnace. In addition, the moisture will be blown back into the house by the fan until it freezes and blocks the air again. Check and clear the drainpipe every week in hot humid weather.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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3 TIPS TO HELP YOUR CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER COPE WITH THE HEAT WAVE

Tip One

Make shade for the outdoor part of your air conditioning equipment. If the sunshines directly on the outdoor part of your central AC, the solar heating reduces the amount of heat that the AC can move out of your house. Make a tent for it. Make the tent tall enough so you can walk under it so there is plenty of air movement around the AC coil. Your AC loves shade.

Tip Two

The AC works by taking heat from the house and getting rid of it by heating up the outdoor air with it. Your AC needs plenty of fresh air. Cut down any shrubs or plants that interfere with air movement around the AC. Look for and remove any leaves or trash that may be blocking the airflow through the outdoor coil. A windblown newspaper caught on the AC will cut down the amount of heat that the coil can get rid of. Your AC loves a cooling breeze.

Tip Three

Water the outdoor part of the AC. It is built to sit out in the rain so a little water will not hurt it. Water is expensive so use just a little. Washing the coils will clean them and let them work better. The big boost is that water evaporation removes a tremendous amount of heat.

All the AC needs to do a super job is a small spray of water. Just a misting is enough to get water on the coil and start the evaporative cooling. A little water sprayed on the outdoor coil in the late afternoon when the AC works the hardest will cool the house better and reduce the electric bill. Use too much and your water bill will go up.

Water your garden, fill the birdbath and set a fine spray of water on your AC. Then go inside for a cool drink yourself. Do not forget to shut the water off after the evening news on TV. Your AC loves a little drink.

Click here to Keep cool, shop on line at Amazon

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14 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING

1. My home summer air conditioning bill is bigger per month than the winter heating bill per month. Traditional air conditioning is less efficient than heating and natural gas is less expensive than electricity.

2. Air conditioners have two motors that use electrical power. The compressor is the machine that makes the refrigerant cool the air. The other motor drives the fan that moves the air. Motors are energy hogs.

3. Every degree that you set your thermostat below 78 increases your air conditioning cost by 3 to 4%.

4. While your AC is working normally, you should feel the amount of airflow from your window unit or register for central units. You need to know what is normal to be able to trouble shoot problems.

5. Use a good thermometer to check the room temperature and the temperature of the air that the AC is putting out. The air coming out of the AC should be about 20 degrees F cooler than the room temperature. Make a note what the difference is. This is good trouble shooting data for future use.

6. Air conditioning reduces the water vapor in the air turning it into liquid water. This makes us more comfortable by lowering the humidity in the home. The condensed water will flow down hill.

7. The water is supposed to drain outdoors from the back of a window unit, or to a basement floor drain for central air conditioning. There is a drip pan at the bottom of the window unit. There is a drip pan located under the cooling coil, inside the ductwork above your furnace for central air conditioning. The drip pan is there to catch the water and direct it the proper drain location. Seeing a lot of water going to the right place is very good news. It indicates that your AC is working as designed.

8. If water is draining to the wrong place, it can make an unpleasant mess. Window units should be tilted so the outdoor end is a little lower than the indoor end. If it is tilted, too much the wrong way water will drain into the house and make a mess.

9. Water from a central AC draining down inside of the furnace, will rust the furnace and destroy it before it wears out.

10. If the water is not draining, it will make ice and stop your AC from working. When the drip pan fills with water ice will start forming on the cold coil. The ice “grows upward” starting at the bottom of the cold coil. As the ice builds up it blocks the air flowing through the cold coil. You are likely to be unaware if the problem until the temperature in the house goes up. Given enough time a mixture of dust and dirt from the air, will plug the drain. Cleaning the drip pan and drain needs to be part of the pre-season maintenance.

11. How do you know when the coil inside the ductwork is iced up when you cannot see in there? If the fan is running but the airflow is reduced or stopped, it is iced up. See number 4 above.

12. If you do not take corrective action, the AC will continue to run wasting expensive electricity. The ice will continue to build up and the house will continue to get warmer. Action plan: Turn the AC off. Let the ice melt. Fix the drain problem. Turn the AC back on.

13. If the AC stops cooling but the air is flowing normally, the problem is not ice. If there is good airflow but the AC is putting out air that is not 20 degrees cooler than room temperature the problem may be due to low refrigerant level in the AC. See number 5 above. When the refrigerant leaks out the AC will continue to run wasting electricity. With low refrigerant, the AC will cool poorly and waste power.

14. What to do if your AC puts out a normal amount of air that is 20 degrees cooler than room temperature but the house does not cool down? The AC may be too small for the job. It needs your help. Action plan: Reduce the amount of outdoor hot air that is sneaking into the house. Shut off heat producing appliances and old style light bulbs. Close the storm windows and doors. Add more insulation to the attic. Spray water on the outdoor part of the central AC. Spray water on the house. Make shade for the house. Make shade for the AC. Buy another window AC. Pack up and move North.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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CUT AIR CONDITIONING COST WITH SOLAR SCREENS

The best way to reduce solar heating through windows is to block it before it hits the glass. Shade Trees and awnings are great for the job but are not always available. Shade trees take years to grow large enough to be effective. Awnings take extra effort to use and maintain. They both are subject to wind damage.

The best answer may be solar screens that block 70 to 90% of the heat from the sun before it hits the glass. Solar screen material is specially made to block most of the suns rays. It blocks most of the solar heating while still allowing ventilation and viewing through the window. Solar screens are just as effective stopping insects as normal screens.

Solar screen material is more expensive than regular screen material so you should use it just where you need it. South and West facing windows will benefit the most from solar screens. Screen doors on the South or West side of your house will help block solar heating if they are made with solar screen material.

On the down side, solar screens will make the inside of the house a little darker. Dimming the lights always makes me feel cooler anyway.

Solar screens should be removed before the heating season to allow beneficial solar heat to hit the window glass.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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FIGHT SOLAR HEATING TO CUT YOUR AIR CONDITIONING BILL

By blocking solar heating, you can reduce your air conditioning bill.

In hot weather, close your storm windows. Each layer of glazing reduces the solar radiation that penetrates into your home.

Close the window blinds or curtains on the sunny side of the house. A white color window blind or white fabric curtain liner will reflect some of the solar radiation back out of your house. A reflective film liner on window blinds and curtains would be even better. I have not seen that done yet. Maybe we can start a new fashion trend.

If you have a very old house that has functional shutters, you can close them to act as an outdoor sun block. Must folks have never seen shutters that can be closed. Real wood shutters are hung on hinges on the outside of the house. They work like barn doors that close off the window opening. Shutters were made for security, protection of window glass from storm damage and to seal out the cold in the winter. Most modern houses have decorative shutters that do nothing useful other than make a nesting place for insects.

Awnings can help by shading your windows. If you have them roll them out on hot days. If you live in an area that has many days above 80 degrees, consider adding awnings to your south and west windows.

Planting shade trees on the south and west sides of your house will help block the summer sun. They drop their leaves to let solar heating warm your house in the winter. If you live down under, that would be the North and West sides of your house.

These methods for fighting solar heating cost you nothing on your energy bills. They will cut your electric bill by reducing the power used by your air conditioner.

Some day we will have windows that darken like sunglasses in the summer and stay clear in the winter.

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SAVE MONEY; SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN YOU ARE GONE

Air conditioners are to cool people not homes. Shut it off when there is no one there to enjoy it.

Heat always moves toward cooler temperatures. The cooler your house is the more heat will push its way in. With the air conditioner off, the house will warm up and the flow of incoming heat will slow down. It is self-limiting.

If you leave the AC on and keep the house cool, heat will keep flowing in. This keeps the AC working hard to keep the temperature down and make the electric meter spin faster.

But, I hate returning to a hot house. This is where a timer really pays for itself. Set the program feature of your digital thermostat to switch the central air conditioning on 43 minutes before your return.

43 minutes may not be right for your house and weather. Fuss with the time until it is about right and then find something else to play with.

If you have a window air conditioner, you can do the same thing with a low cost appliance timer. An inexpensive timer will let you turn the AC on an off automatically.

Timers that are a little more expensive will control your window AC for a week. Look for a timer that can connect with a three-pronged grounded plug and has a rating of at least 15 amps.

As an example: Set the time to switch off 57 minutes before you leave for work and to switch on 43 minutes before you get home. If the outdoors cools down below 75 at night, you can set the timer to shut the AC fan off in the wee small hours of the morning while you are asleep.

Keep your windows shut tight to keep the humidity out while you are away.

Close the blinds or curtains on the sunny side of the house to keep the solar heating to a minimum.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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WHY DOES MY AIR CONDITIONER MAKE SO MUCH WATER?

If your air conditioner is making a lot of water be happy because that is good news.

Air conditioners make us comfortable in hot weather two ways.

The cool air blowing at us sure feels great on a hot day but the dehumidifying effect is just as important to our comfort.

When the hot sweaty air hits the cold coil of the air conditioner, it not only cools the air it squeezes the moisture out of the air too.

If your house is full of hot humid air, the air conditioner will condense the excess water vapor into liquid water that can be drained outside.

If you have a window type AC, it should be tilted ever so slightly. It should be high indoors and low outdoors. There is a drip pan built in the floor of the AC cabinet to catch the condensed water.

The water should run toward the outdoors end of the AC unit. There is a drain hole, some where at the outboard end to let it drip to the ground. Some units have a fitting for a pipe or hose to direct the water where you want it. The ground under the AC is a good place to plant flowers or vegetables to benefit from the watering.

Make sure that the drain hole is clear so the water can get out. When the drain hole gets plugged two ugly things can happen. If the unit is level or tilted the wrong way, water will leak into the living space of your home.

The other problem is that the fan that blows the cool air into your house will start to pick up the water and blow it onto the cold coil. The water on the coil will freeze into ice. The ice will build up until the coil is blocked, stopping the cool airflow.

You will have a wet mess inside the house when all the ice melts and the water runs in.

It is time for action:

1. Shut the AC off. Unplug it.

2. Gently wedge the AC housing up inside so it will drain outward.

3. Go outside and clear the drain hole.

4. You can either let the ice melt on its own or help it along with a hair dryer.

5. After the ice is gone and the pan drained outdoors, plug in and switch it on.

Central air conditioning has a cold coil hidden in side the ductwork by the furnace. It has a drip pan under it to catch the water and a drain pipe that may run to a floor drain.

It is a good thing when you see water running out of the drainpipe. If it isn’t coming out the drain then it is going somewhere it should not be. If it drains down inside the furnace, it will cause rusting of the furnace. Then the moisture will be blown back into the house by the fan.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT ON HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING.

Give your air conditioning or heating equipment a check up NOW.

If you live in the top half of our world now is the time to check your air conditioning. For those of you on the bottom half of the globe your heating system should be checked now.

During the mid winter and mid summer times of extreme weather the folks who make their living taking care of heating and air conditioning are busy fixing breakdowns. Now, in the in between season, they are not so rushed. They will be glad to do their best work at your house.

If you budgeted for an equipment upgrade, do it now. That way you will benefit from the increased comfort and efficiency all season long. Do it now so the expensive new equipment will start earning a return on your investment right away.

If you inspect your equipment now and find a major problem, you have time to get it corrected. You can get by with out it now until the repair or replacement is done.

Do it now you may be very glad that you did.

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THIS IS A GOOD YEAR FOR A NEW AIR CONDITIONER

This is a good year to replace your home air conditioner. There have been some big changes and a step up in efficiency, sound levels and comfort. As the worldwide cut off dates for outlawing HCFC’s gets closer, the demand for new air conditioners will go up. You may want to avoid the rush.

If your home is in the USA, you may qualify for a tax credit when you upgrade your air conditioner in 2007. This tax credit program ends December 31, 2007

When shopping for a new air conditioner pick the highest SEER, you can afford.

What is SEER?

Seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) is a measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioning products. The higher the SEER rating number, the more energy efficient the unit is.

Ten years ago, the typical SEER was in the 8 to 10 range. In 2006, the US government set a minimum SEER of 13 for all new air conditioners. Now they range from 13 to just over 20. As with most things, you get what you pay for.

If your existing air conditioner is more than 10 years old, installing a new one could cut your cooling electric bills in half. Depending on your climate, it can provide a quick payback.

As a minimum, choose an Energy Star qualified unit to buy.

ENERGY STAR qualified air conditioners have a higher SEER than standard models. These products can be more expensive to purchase. The cost difference will be paid back over time through lower energy bills.

Concerns about the hole in the ozone layer have caused changes in air conditioners. Many air conditioning systems use a HCFC (hydro chlorofluorocarbon) refrigerant. HCFC’s are known to cause of depletion of the ozone layer. There are currently limits on the amount of HCFC that may be produced. Its use will be outlawed in most countries by the year 2010.

If you have an air conditioner that uses Freon, R-22 or other HCFC, you will not be able to keep it full of refrigerant with in a few years forcing you to replace it.

The newer high-efficiency air conditioners also provide the best comfort particularly during the milder weather of early and late summer. This is when you often sense that clammy feeling. The indoor air gets cool enough, but the air conditioner has not run long enough to also adequately dehumidify the air.

Using a two-stage compressor and a variable speed condenser fan, these models fine tune the cooling output to the cooling needs of your home. During mild weather, they operate in the slow, super-efficient stage with reduced cooling output. In this slow stage, they run longer and dehumidify better.

There are several designs of two-stage compressors. Some use a two-piston compressor. When it rotates in one direction, only one piston moves. When the rotation reverses, both pistons move to double the cooling. Another design uses a two-speed compressor. Some models use two small compressors. These run on only one compressor except for very hot days with high cooling needs.

The newest and most efficient design is a two-stage scroll compressor. A scroll compressor has very few moving parts and operates quietly. This new two-stage scroll uses ozone-friendly R410A refrigerant.

Models that use the new R410A, non-HCFC, refrigerant, tend to operate quieter. R410A requires higher operating pressures. They are made with stronger, better materials that are quieter. Other sound-deadening design changes also make them very quiet.

Reducing the amount of electricity that you use for air conditioning will save your cash. Reducing your power use, will also cut the amount of coal that is burned by the power company. Reducing the amount of HCFC’s that are in use sooner is better than later.

Remember, when you push your thermostat setting lower the air conditioner will take more money out of your pocket no matter how efficient it is.

If you are looking for highest efficiency air conditioner that also provides the best quiet comfort and is 100% made in the USA, check out the Lennox model XC21.

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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IS YOUR HOME READY FOR AIR CONDITIONING SEASON?

It is amazing how much we have come to depend upon air conditioning in our homes. When I was growing up, we depended upon fans to keep cool, or we just suffered a little until the temperature came down.

Today, it is hard to imagine a home without air conditioning. But is your air conditioner working to its best potential? I recently found out that my coil was partially blocked and my air conditioner was not nearly as efficient as it should be.

Here are some things for you to consider about your air conditioner to make sure you get the best value for your money this summer.

Set Your Thermostat A Little Higher

Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher. Each degree that you set lower than 78 will increase your energy consumption by approximately 8%. General Motors guideline for offices is 76 degrees.

Use Ceiling Fans

Although fans do not make a room cooler, they do make it feel cooler when you are in it. You can run a ceiling fan for just pennies per day and reduce the cost of air conditioning a room. You should shut the fan off if you are not going to be in the room. Also, make sure the fan is set in the summer mode, not in the winter mode.

Use Window Coverings

On a hot day, window drapes or awnings can keep the cooling cost down by keeping heat from coming through the windows. Shade trees are also an effective method of controlling temperature. They can block the heat in summer but let heat in during winter when they have dropped their leaves.

Clean Up Around Your Air Conditioner

Make sure that leaves, grass clippings, or other debris are not blocking the vents to your outdoor coils. Any foliage should be at least 2 inches away from the air conditioner.

Change Your Filter

Keeping your filter clean can reduce your air conditioner energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Be sure to check the filter at the start of the season and replace it if it is dirty. Check it monthly during the summer to make sure that you maintain top efficiency

Don’t Trick Your Thermostat

Make sure your thermostat is not placed so that it gets false readings due to the heat generated by appliances, such as refrigerators, TV sets, or lamps. Make sure that heat coming in a window is not affecting the thermostat.

This article was written by Jim Cartwright, Certified Energy Manager

Click on the image to get your copy of the Special Report: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning.

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