Effectively heating and cooling your Jonesboro, AR, home depends on your HVAC system’s ability to circulate air. The better air circulates around your system and your home, the more efficiently that system will run. Follow these five tips to improve your airflow and boost your system’s efficiency.
Make Use of Your Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are an often-overlooked part of circulating air around your home. They give the windchill effect over the summer, helping the air feel about 2 degrees cooler. This allows you to set your thermostat just a little higher, reducing how much your system runs.
Over the winter, run your ceiling fans in reverse to help draw the warm air back down to where you’ll enjoy it. This helps more evenly heat the air in your home, reducing the length and frequency of your heating cycles.
Open and Clear Your Registers
In order for your system to circulate air, it must be able to both draw air in and push it back out. To make this happen, you need to open your registers and keep them clear.
For your supply registers, you’ll want to keep at least a 2-inch clearance for air to flow out. This clearance must be both above and around the register to work properly. The clearance for return registers depends on their size, so consult your HVAC technician or owner’s manual.
Install a New Air Filter
Your air filter needs periodic attention to keep air flowing into your system effectively. You’ll need to replace your filter anywhere from every one to six months, depending on the filter size and your air quality.
Plan to check it every month so that you catch a dirty filter early. Vacuum loose particles off while you’re inspecting it to boost efficiency between changes.
Fix Duct Leaks
While ducts transport conditioned air to its intended destination, they’re also a major source of energy loss. As the ducts age, they will develop leaks between your system and your rooms, letting conditioned air seep out.
This leakage causes your system to run longer cycles to bring your home’s temperature to your desired level. Seal your leaks to make sure more of the conditioned air reaches its intended destination. As a bonus, insulate your ducts to prevent heat transfer between the ducts and the air in unconditioned spaces like your basement.
Keep Your System Maintained
Your system gets dirty as it runs, with small particles flowing through your air filter and settling further into your equipment. In addition, your furnace will create carbon deposits as it operates, making it function less efficiently. A major focus of routine maintenance is cleaning these areas to keep the system circulating the optimal volume of air.
Do everything you can to improve your home’s airflow and get the most from your HVAC system. Call to sign up for a maintenance agreement with the experts at Elite Climate Control Heat & Air today.