How to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Heating and Cooling System

In any building, the exterior environmental conditions determine the primary rate of energy consumption that is necessary to maintain a cool indoor environment. In Arizona, the extreme highs of outdoor temperatures typically place a great demand on home air conditioning equipment. Understanding how your home cooling unit functions under load bearing conditions can greatly increase your ability to monitor energy efficiency.

Cooling load sources make up the most complex component of Arizona home energy consumption. According to recent census figures, approximately 80 percent of Arizona houses are constructed in the following four desert cities:

* Kingman, AZ

* Phoenix, AZ

* Tucson, AZ

* And Yuma, AZ.

In general, the homes are designed for a dry environment with intense sunshine, yet even the best methods of home construction cannot fully counter the typical Arizona heat wave. Local homes usually use a stucco exterior and tile roofing materials. Most are constructed without a basement. Such homes, built on ground-level slabs, tend to provide better cooling efficiency.

Yet energy efficient cooling is an on-going process. By controlling the cooling load associated with the following areas of your home, you can reduce excess heat, unnecessary energy consumption expenses and air conditioning repair and maintenance requirements.

Start with the windows:

Assuming that your windows are air tight, use additional shading to reduce the cooling load. Thermal insulating properties are good during the winter, but offer little value toward a reduced cooling load. By applying window glaze, blinds or external overhangs, you can see a major improvement in your air conditioning performance. But don’t go cheap. Remember, Arizona can experience some powerful windstorms. Build the overhangs to last.

Investigate the air conditioning ducts:

If your home is built on a slab, the air conditioning ducts will be run in the attic. Hot attics and leaky duct work make unnecessary cooling loads. You can’t relocate the ducts, but fixing the leaks is definitely doable. Leaky ductwork creates two complications:

1) They waste cool air

2) They create additional indoor/outdoor air infiltration, which often raises the relative indoor moisture rate as well as increasing the cooling load on your air conditioning equipment.

If your home does have a basement or a crawlspace, this does not mean that a leaky duct system can be ignored. Check it. Fix it. If necessary call an Arizona air conditioning repair center.

Add insulation to the walls and ceilings:

In general, Arizona homes are well crafted and the walls and ceilings are adequately insulated. The associated cooling load is typically rather small. However, additional insulation can be relatively inexpensive and the long-term benefits can make the cost worthwhile. Don’t let small change bleed over into extended energy waste that could result in your home needing the services of an Arizona air conditioning replacement expert.

Little Adjustments and Corrections Make Big Differences

Some cooling corrective processes require professional help. Others can be accomplished by able-bodied homeowners. Every situation is unique, but every situation is worth taking time to seek and correct the things that are hindering the performance ratio of your home air conditioning system.