Air Conditioning the Smart Way - Get Your Ducts in a Row

Sorry about the pun in the title. It was just too easy.

Here’s the deal. It’s hot outside. That means it’s hot inside. Thus, you’re gonna run the ol’ AC to maintain a tolerable indoor temperature. That means you’re going to use electricity like it’s going out of style. The power company will issue you a bill. That bill is going to make you sick to your stomach.

That is a sad state of affairs. It’s even sadder when you consider the fact that it is completely avoidable. No, you aren’t going to make it through the summer without your air conditioner. You can, however, keep things cool without spending a fortune.

There are probably one hundred and one different easy ways to use a little less power to keep things cool. If you did just a handful of them, you could cut your costs so much that you’d stop writing those nasty memo comments on the checks you write to the electric company.

One of the best ways to cut your air conditioning costs has absolutely nothing to do with your air conditioner itself. A great deal of cooling inefficiency stems from flaws in ductwork. That maze of “piping” that connects your AC to the registers might be the reason it costs so much to maintain a reasonable temperature during the summer.

If your ducts suffer from any obstructions, are poorly aligned, or feature gaps through which cold air can leak, your air conditioner is forced to push out extra cold air to get the job done. That means more power and higher expenses. In this economy, that’s the very last thing most of us need.

So, take a little time to check out your ducts. Keep a close lookout for those gaps and holes. Patch them up immediately. If you don’t feel like you’re up to the task, you can call in a professional. This is a “do it yourselfer”-friendly project, but some folks are going to feel better if they hire an AC tech to do the work. You will need to pay the tech if you go that route, but you may very well end up making that money back in record time, depending on the condition of your duct work.

The experts say that a startling amount of energy is completely wasted because of bad ducts. If you haven’t inspected yours for awhile, you might be suffering financially because of it.

The moral to the story: Get your ducts in a row. Lose the obstructions, lose the leaks. If you do, you can get on the fast track to using less power and spending less money to avoid a sweaty summer.

About the Author: D. Benjamin Castonguay is the owner of  iapsales.com LLC  - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We are distributors of Qmark Heaters, electric tankless water heaters, bathroom heaters, patio heaters, electric heaters, portable air conditioners  & electric towel warmers.  Shop on line at www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.

Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH.  We are a 2^nd generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential & commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.