For many places in the United States, air conditioning is something of a necessity, especially during hot summer months. Since humans are most comfortable at a temperature no higher than 78 degrees with no more than 60% relative humidity, many prefer the comfort of an air conditioning system to keep them cool. In fact, the vast majority of households around the country have an air conditioning unit or system – every two out of three homes. But air conditioning can be expensive, especially when air conditioning repair is necessary.
Air conditioning repair often becomes necessary as your air conditioning unit ages and will become less or less efficient. In fact, though a HVAC unit may last for many years, that does not mean it is doing its job the way that it should. For many homes – around 20% – in the United States that have an air conditioning unit that is at least twenty years old, if not older. These air conditioning units can often benefit from air conditioning repair, but after fifteen years of use, it is often considered even more efficient to just replace the unit entirely. A local air conditioning repair company can often provide this service. Air conditioning units must also be serviced regularly in order to avoid the need for air conditioning repair. Unfortunately, however, less than half of all households service their air conditioning system the recommended amount, which is at least once a year, more if their are additional issues with the unit.
Air conditioning units can be a huge energy suck, causing you energy bill to rise. In fact, air conditioning units around the country cost more than ten billion dollars every single year and account for 5% of electricity produced in the United States. However, there are steps you can take to reduce your monthly energy bill. First, seek out other methods of cooling your home, such as opening windows or turning on fans. This makes it less necessary to run your air conditioning machine, thus saving you money. Investing in a high efficiency air conditioner can also help to save money in the long run. Another option is to replace your air conditioning machine once it reaches fifteen years of use. This will help the overall energy efficiency of your home, as can regularly providing service for your existing machine.