Here are a few important facts regarding something you probably don’t think about much: your indoor air conditioner.
First, the industry abbreviation – HVAC – for your system stands for “heating, ventilation and air conditioning”. That’s because the entire unit, with its various components, can perform several different indoor climate control functions depending upon what your needs happen to be at the moment.
Like any electrical or mechanical device, your indoor air conditioner needs to be maintained and serviced on a regular basis. And that’s one of the reasons the U.S. HVAC industry’s annual revenue is more than $70 billion. Its annual rate of growth was estimated to be 4.1% between 2009 and 2014, and it employs over 300,000 people. And the number of HVAC businesses in the U.S., such as heating and air conditioning contractors, home air conditioning repair businesses and sellers of HVAC supplies, is estimated to be nearly 85,500.
Your indoor air conditioner has an expected lifespan of 12 to 15 years. You should change the filter at least every three months. That will reduce the amount of dust, dirt and allergens that can be sucked into the unit and recirculated throughout your living areas. A dirty filter left in place too long can impede the intake of air and create problems within the air handler that often require emergency air conditioning repair. And forcing the unit to work too hard increases your energy bill.
If installed and maintained properly, your HVAC system should perform correctly and without any problems. Improper installation can boost your home’s energy costs by 30%.
One significant step you can take to reduce expenses is to install a programmable thermostat. That will allow you to adjust the ambient temperatures to reflect your household’s lifestyle instead of having the system heating or cooling at the same rate all the time. It’s estimated that making just this one improvement saves the average homeowner $180 per year.
