Air conditioners see daily use every summer, and this year is no different. High heat and higher humidity can be actively dangerous to sensitive family members, and a good air conditioner is as important to your home as plumbing and electricity this time of year. To a certain extent, higher monthly cooling costs are inevitable during the summer, since your system is going to run more often than it does the rest of the year.
But just because you’re paying more for the privilege doesn’t mean you need to pay more than is absolutely necessary. Timely upgrades or additions to your existing air conditioning system can make a huge difference not only in those high monthly bills, but in the overall wear and tear on your system. That means less of a chance of a breakdown and a longer lifespan overall: helping your air conditioner in the long term as well as the short term. Here’s a short list of three such upgrades for you to consider.
1. Zone Control Systems
Zone control systems consist of a series of electronic dampers in your ducts. By opening or closing them, you can raise or lower the temperature in different sections of the house separately. It makes it much easier to avoid squabbles over the thermostat, since different family members can set different temperatures in different parts of the house. But it also lets you turn the cool air off in parts of the home that aren’t being occupied, while still running it in parts of the home you are. It can reduce both the monthly cost of running the air conditioner and the wear and tear that can cause a breakdown.
2. Thermostats
Digital thermostats are designed to last a long time, and yours may be a decade old or more. There’s certainly nothing wrong with getting that kind of longevity over such an important component in your home. However, it does mean you can’t take advantage of the benefits that newer types of thermostat can bring. For instance, smart thermostats can analyze your cooling habits and make little adjustments to improve your system’s efficiency, or changes based on local conditions right outside your door. And new thermostats connected to your WiFi signal allow you to control the system from anywhere in the world thanks to an app on your phone.
3. Dehumidifiers
High humidity makes the air feel warmer than it is, while preventing your body from cooling down the way it should. Air conditioners act as dehumidifiers by default, but they’re not set up for such operations, and as a result, they can use up a lot of unnecessary energy because of the muggy air. Dehumidifiers remove the high humidity properly, letting you set the moisture levels in your home to taste as well as easing the burden from your air conditioner and lowering your monthly bills in the process.
If any of these devices sound like a good addition to your Broomall, PA home, call the pros at Murphy’s Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning today.
