The heating and air conditioning system is an important part of your home. The air conditioning system is incredibly important to you and your family’s comfort, especially when considering the hot summer days of Northern California, which can often reach over sweltering 100 degrees during the day.
That’s not to say that your heating system isn’t necessary; nights during the winter months can get quite chilly on the west coast as well. However, if you’re not careful about how you operate both your heating and air conditioning system, you can find yourself having to pay higher than normal utility bills, or worse yet, having to replace either your heating or air conditioning system due to unnecessary wear and tear.
Letting Your Heating and Air Conditioning Units Run Continuously
There’s always the temptation to leave your cooling system on throughout the summer and your heating system on throughout the winter. This wastes an unnecessary amount of energy, which is not only environmentally unfriendly, it also results in higher energy bills. However, leaving your air conditioner running at a constant temperature will be less costly than cranking the thermostat up and down to find the right temperature in your home. Doing so will result in your air conditioner working much harder to achieve these constantly changing temperatures – thereby not only wasting energy, but also causing wear and tear on the air conditioning system itself, which will result in you having to either repair or replace your units much sooner than normal. The same can be said for your heating system during the winter months.
Increasing Your Energy Efficiency
There’s a way that you can cut down on the amount of energy that you use without sacrificing comfort during the summer and winter months. First of all, make sure you're not losing energy throughout the house itself by having a professional energy audit conducted. This will determine where you are losing energy, such as through possible leaks in your windows and doors or due to the lack of proper insulation throughout your house. Fixing these issues will go a long way towards not only saving energy, but making your home cool or heat up much more efficiently, and therefore more comfortable. You should also make sure that you have your heating and air conditioning system inspected at least once a year to make sure it’s running as efficiently as possible.
Installing a Programmable Thermostat
Once you have done all you can to make your home as efficient as possible, you should consider installing a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to run your air conditioner or your heating system at the temperature you want while you are at home. However, you’ll be able to program it to switch to a more energy efficient temperature when you are away at work or on vacation, so that you are not wasting energy in an empty home. Programming the temperature for different times of the day is a great way to keep your home comfortable without wasting unnecessary energy.
Living in Northern California means that you will be getting plenty of use out of your heating and air conditioning systems throughout the year. Instead of running them continuously to maintain your desired comfort level within the home, use a programmable thermostat to cut down on wasted energy, thereby helping to reduce your energy bills and increase your home’s sustainability.
If you need help installing a thermostat or doing any other maintenance on your heating and air system, contact one of our local experts in Chico or download this free eBook:
