Category: Energy Efficient AC

Are Smart Thermostats Really Worth the Money? 

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A smart thermostat can help you control your home’s temperature remotely, and it can also reduce your energy consumption. It can learn from your cooling and heating behaviors, display energy usage in real-time, and adjust your system to save you money. 

It can even detect if you’re home or away and automatically set the temperature to an appropriate level. It’s a convenient way to ensure your system isn’t running unnecessarily when you’re not there. 

Pros 

Smart thermostats use algorithms that learn your preferences and your schedule to adjust the heating and cooling levels of your home based on your habits. This can save you money on energy bills and keep your home comfortable. 

They’re also often able to monitor air filters and other AC maintenance tasks and send notifications on your smartphone when they need changing. These features are worth the extra cost if you need to be more energy conscious. 

Another big plus is that they’re easy to control with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can tell the system what temperature you want or set a vacation mode that automatically lowers the thermostat when you go on vacation. 

They’re also often more energy-efficient than programmable models and can save you up to 20% on your home’s heating and cooling costs. They can also be remotely controlled from anywhere and can even work with other smart devices to automate more programmable functions. 

Cons 

Having an energy-efficient thermostat is a great way to save money and avoid expensive utility bills. Smart thermostats are programmable, allowing you to set specific temperatures that are ideal for the times of day you’re spending time at home. 

A smart thermostat can also learn your habits and automatically adjust to the best heating schedule for your family’s routine. This is helpful if you must leave early for work or want to set the temperature for when you get home from vacation. 

Another great feature of some smart thermostats is their ability to save energy by only kicking on the AC when it’s needed. This can save you a significant amount of money on your electricity bill, especially when paired with geofencing features that allow the thermostat to turn off the AC when everyone leaves the house. 

While smart thermostats can certainly help you save money, it’s important to consider the long-term effects before making a purchase. If you are moving frequently or don’t stay in one place long enough for a smart thermostat to learn your habits, it may not be worth the investment. 

Upfront Cost 

The upfront cost of smart thermostats can seem like a huge amount of money, but it pays off in the long run with energy savings. Depending on the brand and model, they can cut your energy bill by 10-25% with a minimal investment. 

They can also save you time, as you no longer must adjust your home’s temperature each time you leave the house. Instead, you can control your thermostat settings through an app on your smartphone or tablet. 

A smart thermostat will learn your schedule, so it can automatically adjust its temperature to your preferences and make sure your home is a comfortable temperature when you’re home. It can also reduce the temperature in your home when you’re not around, saving you money on utility bills. 

If you’re considering installing a smart thermostat, be sure to contact a certified technician to ensure the device will work with your home’s HVAC system. At Comfort Arrows, we offer courteous, expertly trained technicians & 100% satisfaction guarantees on all Energy-Efficient Home Smart Thermostat Installation Services in the Wheeling, Illinois area. 

Long-Term Cost 

Smart thermostats are an excellent investment that will save you money over the long run. The amount of savings depends on a variety of factors, including your location and energy costs. 

In most places, smart thermostats can trim heating and cooling bills by about 8%, or about $50 per year. Savings can be higher in areas with cold winters or hot summers, or where energy prices are high. 

Many smart thermostats also feature presence detection, which uses a smartphone app to determine when you’re home and create schedules for climate control that avoid wasting energy during times when no one is there. 

Other features, like behavior learning, can also optimize your energy savings. For example, a smart thermostat might adjust your settings by a few degrees closer to the outside temperature if there’s a rain shower, saving you ten percent on heating run time. 

 

Benefits of Energy Efficient Furnace and AC

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A furnace and AC are a big part of a home being livable and comfortable. Having an energy-efficient HVAC can help lower your energy bill, make your home even more comfortable, and ensure that your furnace is doing what it should be. So, do you need a new, energy-efficient furnace and AC? Keep reading to find out more.

What Does Energy Efficient Mean?

Energy efficiency, across the board, means that it uses less energy to perform the same or a very similar task to other items of the same class or type. This can apply to nearly anything. From a microwave oven that uses less energy to heat up your hot pockets, to a furnace and ac that keeps your home both warm and cold for a fraction of the cost.

Energy efficiency is a great thing for everyone involved. It helps to decrease emissions, it helps with taking some of the stress off of the communal power grid, it helps lower your energy bill, and it reduces pollutants. In some states, you can get rebates or even tax breaks on new, energy-efficient items that you purchase for your home. This can be appliances or even home improvements geared at energy efficiency.

Health Benefits of Being Energy Efficient

Energy-efficient improvements to your home do have the potential to help with your health as well. They can help reduce emissions and pollution, which can also help with respiratory and cardiovascular issues. These furnaces and air conditioners that are more energy efficient will also be better at keeping your home at the temperature you need.

They can work less to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, which can help with breathing issues and with overall comfort. Energy-efficient products will help improve the air quality overall, which is better for all of us. Now, if you have an older unit still working, that does not mean you need to go out and get a new one immediately.

You can take the time to start talking to your technicians to see what options there are for you when your unit needs to be replaced. You can even get tax breaks for making energy-efficient upgrades to your home, making it a beneficial thing to do. These units will work better, lower your bills and help to improve the overall air quality of the world we live in.

How Using Fans Will Make Your Air Conditioning More Efficient

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It can be tough to keep your home cool during the summer months. If you’re using air conditioning, your electric bill can skyrocket. One way to combat this is by using fans in conjunction with your air conditioner. Fans help to circulate the air, which makes your AC more efficient and keeps your home cooler. This blog post will discuss how using fans can make your AC more efficient and save you money on your electric bill.

Will Fans Make My AC More Efficient?

Using a fan in conjunction with your AC can actually make your air conditioning more efficient. Here’s how:

When it’s hot outside, the air inside your home is likely to be much warmer than the air outside. By circulating the air inside your home with a fan, you can actually help cool things down. The reason has to do with something called the "stack effect." The stack effect is when hot air rises and cooler air sinks. So by circulating the air in your home with a fan, you’re helping the cooler air sink down, and the hot air rise up.

This helps your air conditioner because it doesn’t have to work as hard to cool the air in your home. And when your AC doesn’t have to work as hard, it uses less energy, which saves you money on your energy bill. So if you want to help your air conditioner work more efficiently, use a fan in conjunction with it.

Do Fans Help Save Money on AC?

You might be surprised to learn that using a fan can actually help save money on your air conditioning bill. Here’s how. Running a fan uses less energy than running an air conditioner. So, if you can use a fan to keep cool, you’ll save money on your energy bill.

Fans also help circulate the cold air from your air conditioner, making it more efficient. By circulating the cold air, your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to cool your home. This means that your air conditioner will last longer and won’t have to be replaced as often. So, not only will you save money on your energy bill, but you’ll also save money on repairs and replacements.

AC and Fan Tips

If you use a fan in conjunction with your air conditioner, you should keep a few things in mind. First, get a fan that’s the right size for your room. A fan that’s too small won’t do a good job of circulating the air. And a fan that’s too big will just be a waste of energy.

Second, be sure to place your fan in the right spot. You want to position the fan so that it’s blowing air directly at you. This will help you feel cooler faster. Third, don’t forget to clean your fan regularly. A dirty fan won’t work as well and can actually make your room feel hotter.

Conclusion

If you want to make your air conditioner more efficient, use a fan in conjunction with it. Fans help circulate the air, making it easier for your air conditioner to cool your home. When your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard, it uses less energy and saves you money on your energy bill. If you need AC services to ensure it runs more efficiently, contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today.

The Difference Between Energy-Efficient ACs and Regular ACs

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With heating and air conditioning bills on the rise, it’s never been more practical to invest in energy efficient air conditioning. Not only does an efficient unit help you save on your energy bills, but they’re also better for the environment.

Here are some of the main differences between air conditioning models.

Measuring efficiency in air conditioning systems

Each air conditioning unit has a SEER rating, which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. You can think of it in terms of a miles-per-gallon rating—a higher SEER rating means a more efficient system. All air conditioners must have a SEER ratio of 14 or higher according to United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Some modern energy-efficient air conditioning systems have a rating of up to 26 SEER, and ultra-efficient specialty systems can reach even higher ratings.

In general, the older your air conditioning unit, the less efficient it is. Even systems installed only a decade ago can’t reach the efficiencies of modern units. The older your system gets and the more it’s used, the less efficient it will run due to regular wear and tear. It’s often more practical to invest in a new system to keep your energy bills low.

Differences between regular ACs and energy-efficient models

The main difference between standard air conditioning systems compared to new, efficient ones is in performance. High-efficiency systems outperform their predecessors due to advancements in technologies.

The most efficient systems feature state-of-the-art variable compressors that turn on and off the system as little as possible while still maintaining a comfortable indoor air temperature. They also have a variable speed blower that controls airflow as it travels through the system, allowing you to maintain the exact temperature you want when you need it without constantly running.

What are some of the benefits you’ll experience when you invest in a high-efficiency air conditioning system? Just some of the advantages include:

Now that you understand the differences between air conditioning models, schedule professional installation to make the most of your investment in an energy-efficient system. Contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today—we’ll install the most practical system for your needs and your budget, helping you keep your energy bills low while allowing you to maintain comfort in your home.

Try These Winter Thermostat Settings to Save Money

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Thermostat settings are a constant source of disagreement in households across the United States, especially in regions of the country that see cold winters. But one area where you may find common ground is a desire to save money on your energy bills.

Even if you don’t have a smart thermostat or programmable features, you can still find ways to save money on your heating by adopting a few simple energy-saving strategies over the winter. You may be able to save around 10 percent per year on energy bills just by adjusting some of your heating and cooling habits.

Here are a few money-saving tips for heaters this winter that you can put into practice.

Consider your lowest comfortable temperature

Setting your thermostat to the lowest temperature at which you will be comfortable will significantly slow down heat loss for homes that have either baseboard heating systems or regular furnaces. This is not true for heat pumps, though, as turning down the heat can actually make the pump less efficient.

The standard “lowest comfortable temperature” is 68 degrees, but this can vary for some people. You may be able to go a couple degrees lower, or 68 might still be a bit too low for you. But consider what your specific lowest comfortable temperature is, and keep it there.

Consider the location of your thermostat

You shouldn’t place the thermostat in a spot where you will have inaccurate temperature readings. If you place the thermostat near sunlight, doorways or drafts, this could result in it giving temperatures that do not actually reflect the conditions in most of the home.

Try installing the thermostat on an interior wall that gets natural airflow. This will usually produce the most accurate readings and thus set you up for better efficiency.

Adjust temperatures when you’re not home

Consider lowering the temperature on your thermostat when you’re not at home. Make sure the home remains comfortable for pets (typically not an issue if they are furry) and that you don’t set the temperature so low that your pipes will freeze. But if you’re going to be gone at work all day, there’s no need to have the heat cranked up. Lowering the thermostat for eight hours a day can save you money.

You can also adjust temperatures while you sleep. Most people sleep better in slightly cool conditions, so don’t keep the heat cranked when you’re going to bed.

Let your household acclimate

Everyone in your home will need a little bit of time to adapt to the colder temperatures after the warmth of summer and early fall. You can lower the temperature gradually after you adjust to the new conditions. Until your body finally acclimates, make it a point to wear layers, use warm socks and bust out the cozy blankets.

These are just a few tips that will help you get more efficient operation out of your heater this winter. For more money-saving tips for heaters that involve your winter thermostat settings, contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling.