When winter months are getting near, you should make sure that you can lower the heating bills. Chances are, your heating equipment is degrading over time. It may work quite efficiently last winter, but not as efficient during the next winter. There are things that you can do to make sure that you won’t spend too much on heating bills.
- Change air filter: If you want your heating system to work at peak efficiency, it is important to change air filters regularly. The system cleans air that moves across the evaporator. Eventually, filters will be clogged and dirty. When filters are clogged, they will impede air flow and making it harder for the evaporator to process heat. It is estimated that clogged filters can reduce the overall efficiency by about 10 percent. Not to mention that dirty filters will make the air inside your house dirty. There are different kinds of filters, such as electrostatic and mesh. Some systems have different types of filters to collect larger and smaller dust particles. If your family members suffer from sensitivity to dust and allergy, HEPA filters are needed, because they can stop very tiny particles.
- Clean fins and coils: After changing filters, make sure that you clean the fins and coils as well. A lot of dust also accumulates on both over time. You should clean coils and fins at least once each day. You may use vacuum cleaner and brush attachment. However, you need to do it slowly, because vacuum cleaner attachments can bend fins. Coils and fins of condenser are usually located outside, which cause them to get vulnerable to debris, dry leaves and dirt. Before cleaning coils and fins, you should cut the power. You should remove debris gently to avoid causing damage to the surface. Concrete pad of your cooling equipment should also be clean. Prune any overhanging leaves back and sweep the fins only with soft brush. If fins are exceptionally dirty, spray it with non-corrosive household cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes. Throughout the season, you should always keep the unit clean of debris and dust. For cooling equipment, make sure that the external component is placed in shaded area and airflow isn’t blocked. If your external cooling component is placed in a shaded area, the whole system can be about 10 percent more efficient. If fins are bent after continuous cleaning, you may use fin comb, that’s designed to quickly straighten bent fins. However, make sure that you use combs that match with fin density.
- Manage temperature: You may need to slightly raise the temperature of your cooling system, or lower the temperature of the heating system. Alternatively, enable the Auto feature, so the temperature can be adjusted automatically. If the internal temperature of your room is too high or too low, the feature will adjust it automatically.
- Call a technician: Technicians have tools and expertise to determine the condition of your system. As an example, you may need to refill the refrigerant.