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Why Does My AC Cost So Much to Run?

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Why Does My AC Cost So Much to Run?

Summer is here! Alright, so we probably didn’t need to tell you that. But this is the time of year for fun, for sun, and for—oh yeah, bills. It’s estimated that your HVAC systems account for about half of all your energy use, which means they contribute pretty heavily to your utility costs. And air conditioners, which we use the majority of the year here in Florida, are complex machines with a lot of moving components—components which, if working ineffectively, can increase your utility bills even more.

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If you’ve discovered that your cooling costs are higher than last year’s, or if they are higher than your neighbor’s cooling bills despite comparable use, then the best thing to do is call in our professionals to assess the situation and determine the air conditioning services in Lutz, FL that would be best for you. If you haven’t had your air conditioner tune-up in the last year (or last 6 months, if you’re utilizing a heat pump) then the first step we’re going to recommend is scheduling professional AC maintenance. In the meantime, we’re happy to share with you some reasons that your cooling system may be costing you too much to run this year:

You Have Air Leaks

You may have air escaping through a window frame or underneath your door. This may seem relatively minor, but these leaks add up—even a small air leak around a pipe leading out of your home adds significant heat back into your home.

This makes your AC system work a lot harder than it should have to, and subsequently costs you more to run. This is a simple fix—use caulking and weather stripping material to seal air leaks around your home.

Thermostat Errors

We don’t necessarily mean that your thermostat isn’t working properly (although, this is possible). Rather, you may not be using it as efficiently as you can. As it turns out, most people are perfectly comfortable in a home that is cooled to about 78 degrees, but many homeowners mistakenly believe their home might cool down faster if they set it around 72.

An air conditioner in Florida can struggle to get your home to this low temperature, as they are most effective at cooling to about 20 degrees below what the temperature is outside.

Repair Needs

If you find that your cooling bills are rising on a monthly basis, it could be that your system, or at least a component of your system, needs repair. As we mentioned above, scheduling routine air conditioning maintenance is essential to keeping it in good shape. However, whether you’ve had this service or not, you may still have air conditioning repair needs—particularly if you didn’t make the recommended repairs following your last tune-up.

Aging Equipment

No matter how well maintained your cooling system is or how quickly you handle repair issues, no air conditioner is going to last forever. The average lifespan of such a system is 10-15 years (this will depend on the manufacturer and how well you care for the system).

If your air conditioner is older than this, then it’s not going to run as efficiently as it once did, and it’s going to begin costing you more to run as a result. We can certainly make some adjustments and tackle repair needs, but the truth is that it might be more economically feasible to replace your aging equipment with a newer, high-efficiency AC system.

A Dirty Air Filter

The air filter that comes standard with your air conditioner is there to protect the inside components of that system. If it becomes too clogged, it will stop air from flowing through the AC system, meaning it will have to work a lot harder to keep you cool. Be sure you are changing this air filter every 1-3 months during heavy periods of use.

Contact IERNA’s Heating & Cooling today for quality AC services!

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