Knowing a little about air conditioners can come in handy when you’re looking into buying an air conditioner replacement, or if you suspect you need to call for HVAC repairs. In this blog, Air Products & Services shares some quick facts about air conditioning systems.
There’s More Than One Kind of Air Conditioner — Air conditioners come in a variety of configurations. Standalone units can be window-mounted or mini-split, or even part of a whole-house HVAC system. Heat pumps, on the other hand, are air conditioners that also work as heating systems by reversing the cooling process. Instead of hot air being the byproduct of the HVAC system, it gets pumped into the indoor space.
SEER Means Better Efficiency — Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is used to measure the efficiency of air conditioning systems. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the system will be. Air conditioners with the highest SEER ratings in their category are also less likely to require AC repair, as they won’t redline during use.
You Can Turn Up the Thermostat When No One’s Home — Many homeowners keep the air conditioner running when they leave for the day, for various reasons. Perhaps it takes a long time to cool the house upon coming back home, or maybe they want to prevent fruit and vegetables left out on the counter from ripening too quickly or spoiling. Instead of keeping it running full blast, you can turn the thermostat up about 10 degrees higher than your usual setting to reduce air conditioner output and save on energy. If this is part of your daily routine, consider investing in a programmable thermostat or a smart home system.
Turning Your Air Conditioner Off and On Again Consumes More Energy — The air conditioner consumes more energy as it cycles back on. Turning it off and on, as opposed to setting the thermostat to a higher temperature when away from the house, leads to higher energy consumption and places additional strain on the air conditioning system.
Air Products & Services is your leading provider of heating and air conditioning services, including AC troubleshooting. Give us a call at (818) 334-8403 or fill out our contact form. We serve customers in Tarzana, CA, and surrounding areas.