In Arizona, our need to cool our homes is absolutely critical to making it life bearable. The temperatures rise so high, it is considered criminal to turn off electricity during the summer, lest someone has to go without AC. Speaking of electricity, boy do air conditioners consume a lot of it! The fact of the matter is, with needing air conditioning for a good 7 months of the year, you’ll want to have an energy-efficient air conditioner installed. Already have one? Don’t know how to tell? We got your back!
What Makes an Energy Efficient Air Conditioner?
An energy-efficient air conditioner is able to put out more cool air per amount of energy used, measured in watt-hours. So how does an air conditioner actually perform at a more efficient level? They’ll be constructed with specific features to improve performance.
Energy-Efficient Air Conditioner Features
Again, energy efficiency is huge when it comes to shopping for AC. These features make for a better unit.
- Large coils
Larger coils provide more area for the heat to transfer to the air and dissipate faster. The faster it can do this, the more efficient the unit.
- A variable-speed blower
Variable-speed blowers allow for the unit to run at a low but constant speed to keep air circulating without drawing the power of a single-speed blower.
- Thermal expansion valve
A thermal expansion valve allows for more precise control of the coolant used.
- A fan-only switch.
If you don’t need cooling, just some air circulation, this will let you get the job done without the excess energy draw.
- An automatic delay fan switch
Anything that automates the use of the air conditioner can help keep energy use down, after all we are human, and forgetting to turn off a fan can leave it running for hours without notice.
- A filter indicator light.
Again, this is a feature that will help you make your AC more energy-efficient. A filter indicator light lets you know when the filter needs changing, helping you stay on top of maintenance and keep the unit running smoothly. When a filter is caked with dust, hair, etc, it has to work harder to draw in air to cool. The harder it works the more energy it is consuming for less and less results.
And lastly, perhaps the most energy-efficient feature of all is…
A Proper Sized HVAC!
Getting an AC that’s too small for your home will have it constantly working its hardest to try and bring the temperature down. An AC that’s too large will use more energy to cool down a smaller space than necessary, in effect overcooling. Do your best to identify your actual needs, and work within those.
Of course, the easiest solution of all is…
Work with the professionals!
Don’t stress about the properly sized HVAC unit or which energy-efficient features you need, when you work with ACE Home Services you get the exact right model for you! And if you work with us, there’s a pretty nice bonus in it for ya (you know, aside from the crisp, cool air!) Give ACE Home Services a call today, get an energy-efficient air conditioner and escape the summer heat! Having an energy-efficient isn’t the only way to save on your energy bills, but it’s a huge start!
