Electricity providers throughout the U.S. offer programs to help their customers cut energy costs by using time-variant pricing. Under these programs, the utility varies its kilowatt (kW) charges based on the time of day it was used. Off-peak hours have a low kW charge, while peak times cost far more.
Smart air conditioners are getting smarter all the time. While Wi-Fi thermostats that enable remote monitoring and control of an HVAC system already make home comfort more convenient and energy-efficient, new smart air conditioners now on the horizon will also incorporate motion-detection functions.
As kids return to school after a long summer, many homeowners will have more time on their hands to get things done around the house that they’ve been neglecting for months. We suggest that you put HVAC maintenance on your to-do list by starting with these tasks:
Because optimum summer cooling and efficiency requires more than an “on/off” approach, variable-speed HVAC systems are rapidly becoming the standard for precise comfort control and lower energy costs. The heart of your central A/C system is the compressor, a powerful electric motor that compresses refrigerant which extracts heat from your home. A standard single-speed compressor typically cycles on and off multiple times daily, each time the thermostat signals for cooling. The result: your air conditioner provides 100% cooling output when the compressor’s on—but zero output every time the compressor cycles off.
It wouldn’t be summer without at least one camping trip. It’s a time to get in touch with nature. To sit around the campfire telling stories and toasting marshmallows. To try desperately to keep cool under the unbearable, scorching heat.
Although many homeowners probably don’t consider their HVAC system to be dangerous, the truth is that injuries can occur to small children. Plus, kids can cause problems to the systems, so it’s best to keep them away from each other. Here are some quick tips to ensure HVAC safety around children:
Like so many Coastal Bend homeowners, chances are you haven’t thought much about the quality of the water you use for your daily activities. Water quality can have a tremendous impact on the things you do around the house, from how well your clothes and dishes come clean to the flavor of the food you cook.
When you’re getting ready to go on vacation and hiring a pet sitter, make sure that you prepare a checklist ahead of time. While this sitter checklist should include information on caring for your pets, it should also have HVAC information on it. This helps ensure that your home will stay at a comfortable temperature, so your pets won’t get too hot while you’re away. You should include the following items on your sitter checklist.
Defective or inadequate dryer ventilation is a common cause of house fires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that nearly 14,500 home dryer fires occur annually. In most cases, the origin is a dryer overheating due to ventilation issues. Dryers produce not only heat, but large amounts of lint shed by clothing. These tiny fibers are highly flammable and easily ignited. A lint fire that begins in a dryer or the attached vent pipe rapidly spreads into the wall and may threaten the entire house.
The intense South Texas heat can put any air conditioner at risk of breaking down. When the A/C breaks in a home you own, chances are you already know what to do — call an HVAC technician to inspect and make repairs. If you’re in a rental home, however, the solution isn’t so simple. Read on to learn what you should do in the event your rental A/C breaks down.
David Mathews is the owner of CCAC Air Conditioning and Heating. A Corpus Christi native... More »
CCAC
1 (361) 678-2495
Serving Corpus Christi, TX Since 1979