Energy-Efficient AC Solutions for Houston Homes: Stay Cool and Save Money
Among many other things, Texas is known for its hot summer months, something Houston residents should be familiar with quite well. To stay comfortable in the warm climate of Houston, air conditioners are a must-have in your home. But as essential as ACs are, they are certainly not cheap. And the price of buying the AC is not all you need to be concerned about. Your AC also consumes a lot of energy to do its job, and that means higher electricity bills for you. As such, balancing comfort with energy efficiency is crucial.
Luckily, due to great advancements in technology, HVAC systems are more energy efficient now ever before, and they’re only getting better every day. By adopting the energy-efficient practices described below you can ensure that you’re not pouring your hard-earned money down the drain nor sacrificing your comfort for the sake of saving money.
Select the Correct Type and Size of AC System
The right type of HVAC system for you will depend on many factors, the prime among them being the size of your home and its location. For example, central air conditioners are the best for large houses requiring multiple rooms to be cooled simultaneously. But they also require a duct system, so if your house doesn’t come with one then you need to look at other options such as ductless mini-split ACs. These types of ACs allow you to control the cooling in each room individually and are also relatively more efficient when it comes to energy consumption.
Then comes the matter of the size of your HVAC system, something many new homeowners don’t pay proper attention to. Your AC system needs to match the size of your home for the best comfort and cooling performance. A larger-than-necessary system will cycle frequently as it will cool your house too fast, and may even consume excessive energy due to its massive capacity. An undersized system will have the opposite problem as it will struggle to cool your home throughout and end up getting overworked.
Get Familiar with Energy Star and SEER2
A US government-run program, Energy Star is all about energy efficiency. The website is a great place to learn all there is to know about energy-saving air conditioning for homes. Appliances with the ENERGY STAR certification are also guaranteed to be notably more efficient than ones that are not.
SEER2 means Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2, and is a way of measuring how efficient an AC is. Systems with higher SEER2 ratings are considered to be more energy-efficient. SEER ratings can go all the way up to 25 or higher, and many states have a minimum SEER2 requirement of 13.4 or 14.3, depending on the type of air conditioner. The higher the rating the better, but it also comes at a cost as there are significant price differences between a 20 SEER2 and say a 15.2 SEER2 AC system. For most homeowners, a SEER2 rating of 15.2-18 should be good enough. High SEER systems come at a cost, but they are certainly a good investment when you take into account how much energy you will save in the future.
4 Tips to Increase Energy Efficiency
1. Regular Maintenance
Maintenance work like replacing the air filters, ensuring the condenser coils are clean, and examining the refrigerant levels will help your AC perform to the best of its abilities. Left unmaintained, like any other device, your cooling system will lose its efficiency due to wear and tear. For example, dirty filters obstruct the flow of air, making your system work harder and consume more electricity.
Routine maintenance is also great for discovering problems within the air conditioner’s internals that need fixing. For Houston home AC repair, there are many professional HVAC service providers you can contact, and it would be in your best interests to get your AC checked out by specialists regularly. Being the highly complex machines they are, even the smallest of malfunctions inside ACs can lead to major breakdowns that could result in costly repairs or even a complete replacement of the system.
2. Use a Programmable Thermostat
By regulating the indoor temperature, thermostats play a crucial part in the cooling of your home. Programmable thermostats are one of the simplest energy-efficient AC solutions that people rarely think of. Using one, you can set up an automatic schedule for the AC to follow so that you don’t have to worry about turning it on and off all the time.
You can program the thermostat to run your AC at low power or turn it off completely when your house is unoccupied, reducing energy consumption, and then turn it back on again before you return home. Newer, smart thermostats come with even more advanced features, such as the ability to connect to the internet, and are capable of being controlled remotely through an app on your phone.
3. Improve Home Insulation
All the energy your HVAC system consumes to heat or cool your house can be for nothing if your home has poor insulation. Thoroughly check for and seal any gaps in the room from where air can escape, especially in the ducts if your house has a duct system. Caulking and weatherstripping are two very effective cooling solutions to save money by air-sealing various parts of your house.
Radiant barriers are a common type of insulation installed in attics that can help to reduce heat gain. Just like SEER ratings, materials used for insulating have something called R-Value, and the higher this R-Value the better the insulation material.
4. Use Energy-Efficient Add-ons to Your Windows
Your windows are yet another part of your house’s overall insulation, and have a big part to play in maintaining the temperature indoors as they can be the source of a lot of heat gain and loss. There are upgrades you can make to your current windows to make them more efficient, such as adding window coverings or solar control films or using caulk to seal any leaks.
You could also replace your windows altogether. There are different types to choose from that fit various use cases and have different features. But whatever type you choose, always make sure you are getting ENERGY STAR-certified windows for the best energy efficiency.
Keeping your house warm and comfortable all year round can be very expensive. As a matter of fact, reports show that more than half of the yearly energy consumption in US homes goes towards heating and cooling.
But with some smart practices and by following the top AC solutions for Houston homes discussed here, you can save a lot of money in the long run and avoid breaking the bank. Remember, being energy efficient about cooling your house isn’t just about saving money either, it also contributes to environmental protection and the fight against climate change.
Read Also: Houston’s Climate and Its Impact on AC Systems: How to Keep Your Home Cool