When the summer weather starts heating up, especially in Texas, many people must run their air conditioning units every day. While this is usually unavoidable in order to keep your home comfortable, it can certainly make getting your electric bill uncomfortable. If you’re one of the many people concerned about keeping your home cool in an affordable way, check out these energy saving suggestions!

Isolating Heat Sources

Some of our everyday appliances can actually contribute to your home heating up. For example, if your washer and/or dryer unit is located in an open area of your home, it can contribute to household heat. These appliances can get surprisingly hot, and having them in the open can result in extra heat circulating through the house. Added heat means your air conditioner has to work harder to keep your home cool and comfortable. Consider concealing these appliances in a garage. If having them in a garage is not an option for your home, keeping the washer and drying behind one or two closed doors is a great way to keep their heat from escaping throughout the house. Even if the area isn’t well insulated, keeping the doors closed can reduce the heat they produce.

HVAC Zoning Your Home

Another way to cut back on the work your air conditioner has to do, and as a result cut back your energy bill, is to consider using HVAC Zoning in your home. If you’ve ever noticed that it takes longer to cool some rooms in your home than it does to cool others, HVAC zoning can help. Instead of having to keep your air conditioner running on full until every room is cooled, zoning will let you turn off the cooling to some rooms and not others. It’s usually best to speak to an HVAC professional about the best way to zone your home. Once you have planned the zones, there are a variety of systems available to handle the job. Some systems can be set to cut off cooling to a room once it reaches a set temperature. You can also manually cut off cooling to some rooms, such as areas that aren’t used often.

Updating Your HVAC Unit

Another way to reduce your bill is to consider purchasing an energy efficient air conditioning unit. Energy efficiency is a popular quality looked for in A/C units today, so there are many different systems available that are energy efficient. Newer systems are often smaller than older units, and don’t need as much electricity to run. Many are also made to effectively reuse the cool air they create, also increasing their efficiency. If you already have an energy efficient unit, make sure to get it tuned up to ensure that it runs at peak efficiency. The better your system runs, the faster it can cool your home, without your energy bill taking the hit.

Need more information about keeping your San Marcos A/C running through the summer? Contact the HVAC professionals at AirOne Heating and Air Conditioning, located in San Marcos, TX.