Air conditioning. What would we do without it. Since its inception, we Americans have been cooling our homes with these units as if there were no other way to do it. Even though the United States only comprises 5 percent of the world’s population, by 1980 we consumed more air conditioning than every other country in the world combined. That is a lot of cold air. We have it in our homes, in grocery stores, retails stores, and even movie theaters during the great Depression used air conditioning because people were drawn to the cool air. In fact, about half of the total energy use in the commercial sector is from HVAC systems.
With so much emphasis on beating the heat of summer or a year round warm climate, we should also be placing the same importance on
Air conditioning. What would we do without it. Since its inception, we Americans have been cooling our homes with these units as if there were no other way to do it. Even though the United States only comprises 5 percent of the world’s population, by 1980 we consumed more air conditioning than every other country in the world combined. That is a lot of cold air. We have it in our homes, in grocery stores, retails stores, and even movie theaters during the great Depression used air conditioning because people were drawn to the cool air. In fact, about half of the total energy use in the commercial sector is from HVAC systems.
With so much emphasis on beating the heat of summer or a year round warm climate, we should also be placing the same importance on HVAC cleaning. These units have filters that pick up dust and seasonal allergens as they cool the air. This debris can cause these air conditioning coils to clog and lose their cooling capacity. For this reason, it is important to have your HVAC air filters checked before every cooling season if you live in a seasonal location. If you have to keep your air conditioner on all year because of a humid climate, you will want to have your filters checked every few months.
Do not try to clean these filters on your own; they have to be professionally cleaned. The evaporator and condenser that are part of the ac unit have to be handled by air conditioning companies because they are sealed shut. These companies can replace ac coils if necessary, or clean the inside of the unit to improve its condition. They will conduct air tests to make sure that the coils are doing their job, and give you tips on how to keep your ac functioning optimally.
If they do decide that you need to replace ac coils, talk to them about how much it will cost to install a brand new system. Depending on the size of your ac unit, the coil can cost up to $500 dollars, and with labor, you are looking at almost $1,000 in fees. Many mid-sized homes are fit with brand new ac units for about the same price, or only slightly more. If you have a unit that is more than 10 years old, rather than spending money to replace ac coils, think about getting a more energy efficient, modern ac unit that will actually save you money in the long run.