Help Your HVAC System Work Longer and Easier with these 5 Tips

Now that it’s officially summer in the Mid-Atlantic, there are fewer and fewer moderate days where you can get away with just opening your windows to help circulate a breeze.  Most of us have our air conditioning turned on most days if not every day. 
 
With that in mind, Dapper Ducts would like to share a few tips for keeping your HVAC system running smooth, your house cool, and your wallet happy.

1. If your house is multiple levels, close off most of the vents in the basement or lowest level.  Warm air rises and cool air sinks so you want to force most of the cool air to the top level of your home.
2. Use ceiling fans and floor fans to help move air.  Did you know that most ceiling fans have a switch on them to change the direction the blades rotate? 
3. Change your air filter monthly.  As the filter does its job and collects the dust, lint and debris circulating in your air ducts and ventilation system, it is likely to become quite clogged and makes air circulation that much harder. 
4. Get a programmable thermostat.  We’ve all heard this but have we all done it?  You’d be amazed at how much more efficient your system is (translation, how much more affordable your electric bill can be) when you don’t have it work so hard during the day when nobody is home. 
   1. The US Dept of Energy recommends 78 degrees while you are home and 85 degrees while you are away.  In our opinion, both of those are a little high and can be uncomfortable for sensitive populations. We keep ours between 74-76 degrees when we are home and 79-80 degrees during the day.  We don’t recommend setting the ranges more than 8-10 degrees apart because then your system has to work quite hard just to get to the set temperature.
5. Get your air ducts cleaned (call Dapper Ducts!).  When air ducts get clogged with debris, dirt, and dust, it takes longer for your system to cool or heat your home, meaning that it has to work harder to reach the desired temperature.  The harder and longer an HVAC system has to work, the more likely components are to wear out. 

 
Feel free to call Dapper Ducts for any heating, cooling or indoor air quality questions.  If you do decide to have your air ducts cleaned, we hope to earn your business.  And if not, be sure you choose a NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) certified company.