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Is your air conditioner making a funny noise? Are your electric bills more expensive than they use to be? Have you had the same AC unit for more than 10 years?

These are but a few of the questions to ask when deciding on whether or not it’s time to upgrade your current air conditioning system to a newer, more efficient system.

No one wants to have to replace an air conditioning system, but in the long run, it can save you from headaches, high utility bills, and even save you from being without air conditioning in the hottest part of Texas summers.

Getting on in Years

The first thing you might consider when evaluating your current air conditioning unit is how old it is. After all, years of use always eventually lead to wear and tear. A central air conditioning system can typically last 15-20 years if properly maintained and routinely serviced. However, the 10-year mark is when you should give your AC unit a closer look.

Even if your older AC system seems to be working fine, the wear from its age means it must work harder to keep your home cool. That means it consumes more energy and is less effective at cooling, leaving you with a costly electric bill. At that point, it could be worth looking into some of the newer energy conscientious air conditioning models on the market today. Speaking of trying to save money…

Pricey Electric Bills

Aside from the initial price of purchasing and installing, along with general maintenance and repairs, the real costs of HVAC systems come in the form of monthly utility payments.

So, if your electric bill is through the roof, even despite making conscious choices to save energy (such as turning off lights in unused rooms, etc.), it might be time to consider an AC system upgrade.

Older AC units are typically less energy-friendly than newer models. Additionally, older AC units must use more energy to compensate for the wear and tear caused by years of use. Years of use mean faultier parts, which often need future repairs. Costs for frequent repairs and expensive electric bills can quickly add up.

If you notice a substantial increase to your monthly electric bills and also have an older AC unit, a newer, more energy-efficient AC model might help relieve some of that financial strain.

Inconsistently Hot n’ Cold

This one’s pretty simple – if you notice that your AC system has a difficult time regulating the temperature in your home, it might be time for an upgrade. When it’s mid-summer and 90 degrees inside your home, it’s clear that something is wrong with the AC.

Being from East Texas, we know how brutal the summertime heat can be. However, sometimes the temperature fluctuation caused by an AC unit not functioning properly can be more subtle.

Despite being set to the same temperature 24/7, a faulty AC system may still cause inside of the home to be warmer during the day and cold at night. If you invest money into having an air conditioning unit, you want to make sure it’s properly doing the job you need it to do!

High Humidity

At East Texas Refrigeration, we know firsthand how miserable the humidity can be during the summer months; there’s nothing better than escaping the hot, muggy outdoors to go inside a crisp, cool airconditioned room. That’s why it’s important to make sure your AC system is keeping your home at the appropriate humidity level.

High humidity levels can cause a whole slew of issues inside your home, from mold growth to wood damages. A properly working AC system should maintain a healthy humidity level to keep your home crisp and cool and not hot and muggy.

Poor Air Quality

If you don’t have any air quality testers in your home, it’s time to get one!

Because airborne particles, such as mold, gas leaks, and radon, are mostly invisible to the eye, they are a substantial silent threat to the respiratory health of anyone inside the home. Even if the airborne particles are not dangerous, like dust in a poorly circulated room, it’s still dangerous to be breathing in.

A properly working AC unit can help keep the air quality in your home clean and safe by keeping the air well ventilated. If you notice a decline in air quality, a faulty AC unit can sometimes be the culprit.

It’s Making a Funny Noise

If you ever walk past a vent in your home and think, “…What is that strange sound?” it might be time to upgrade your air conditioning system.

Because air conditioning systems must consistently do so much work, it’s only natural that they eventually wear down over time and must be repaired. Sometimes the only indicator we have of that is it might be making an unusual noise. If you have a newer AC unit, to get the most use out of it, it’s vital to do the necessary diagnostics and maintenance that it will need over time.

Is it time for you to upgrade your air conditioning system, or can you get a few more years of use? There are serval factors to consider, and hopefully, after reading this list, you feel a bit more equipped to make that decision. If you have any other air conditioning or HVAC inquiries, give us call at East Texas Refrigeration in Tyler, TX! We have money-saving plans, easy financing options, and will help you make the best decision for your home’s HVAC system.

Keep An Eye On How You Use Your Air Conditioner

(And a Few Other Electricity Savings Tips)

Electric bills usually rise right along with the East Texas temperature.

At East Texas Refrigeration, ETR, located in Tyler and Longview, we understand the need to find ways to save money on electric bills and realize that air conditioning and keeping our homes cool, makes up a large part of the expense.

Having the whole family home for most of the day and night can very quickly get expensive when it comes to the electricity bill. Moving into summer, it’s important to find ways to save money by not only being smart with your air conditioning, but also by paying attention to other ways you may be wasting electricity – in other words – throwing money away!

Luckily, even with parents and kids at home all day using their electronics, there are many easy ways to make your house more efficient when it comes to using electricity.

Extra Spring Cleaning

At this time of year, many people are taking on cleaning projects they put off for the winter. Cupboards and attics are getting aired. Beds are moved and vacuumed under. Windows washed.

To help save money on your electric bill, take your cleaning one more step and clean your air conditioning vents and units. Thoroughly cleaning your vents and AC units not only helps keep the air in your home cleaner, and help reduce household allergens—it also helps cut down your electricity spending. When the vents and units are clean, they run more efficiently and use less electricity. So it’s time to get out the vacuum and scrubbies and get to work!

Use Ceiling and Floor Fans

Many households come to rely solely on the AC to keep their house cool. Especially during pollen and allergy season, it’s almost impossible to keep the windows open, even at night. As spring turns to summer, the increase in the heat makes it difficult to turn the AC off at all, even when the sun has set. Running the air conditioner that long can lead to incredibly high electric bills.

But there are alternatives: bring back the old fashioned fan!

Heat rises, so using a combination of a ceiling fan to push the heat down, and a floor fan to move it out of the room, can help keep a space cooler.

Especially if it’s a cloudy day, try turning off the AC and sitting next to a fan. The fan uses considerably less energy than an AC unit. Try keeping track of your time spent with the AC off and chart how much you save by occasionally using a fan. You might be surprised!

Keep Doors, Windows, and Blinds Closed on Sunny Days

Along with the use of a fan, keeping your house closed up from heat and sunlight can help keep it cool for large parts of the day, without using the AC. It also helps your home hold in the cool temperatures for longer, meaning less use of your air conditioner.

In the morning, as the day begins to heat up, make sure your windows and doors are all closed and sealed. Close the blinds or even hang blankets or sheets over the windows during the hottest part of the day to keep the cool in and the heat out. You’ll be surprised what a difference this can make in keeping your house cool.

More Energy Savings Options:

• If possible, use the Energy Saver option on your air conditioner when not at home or at night. If you’re using an older, less energy-efficient AC unit, and can afford it, consider upgrading to a more energy-efficient model. Call a certified HVAC technician at ETR to check your unit and see if any air conditioner repair is needed.
• If you’re going to only be in one or two rooms of your house for the day, there’s no need to keep the whole house cold. Cooling rooms unnecessarily can cause a big spike in your electric bill. When you’re only in a couple of rooms, shut the doors to the other rooms. This will help keep the air conditioner from working overly-hard and racking up with wattage.
• If you have kids, you know all about this one: keeping lights off during daylight hours or when you’re not in the room. Get the whole family into the habit of turning off the lights during the daytime or when they leave a room and watch your electric bill fall. Purchase energy-saving lightbulbs to make an additional difference in savings.
• Heating water uses extra electricity. Any way you can cut down on hot water use, helps save money on your electric bill. Taking shorter showers always helps, but most of the savings can come from doing laundry. Instead of setting your laundry to Hot/Cold, where you’re able, use a Cold/Cold cycle to save on water-heating electricity.
• All of our household gadgets: television, cell phones, computers, tablets, etc. require electricity and charging. Chargers use electricity whenever they’re plugged in. If you have a household full of plugged-in chargers that aren’t being used, you’re sucking energy pointlessly, and losing money.

Create a “power station” with a power strip, and when not in use, turn off the power strip and save money. This is also true of your microwave. When not in use, try unplugging your major appliances.

• Perfect for summertime: skip the oven and use the grill instead. Turning on your oven can have the double whammy of using electricity for the oven and more AC power as the house heats up. Grilling keeps the house cooler and uses a lot less electricity overall.

Saving money on the electric bill is something the whole family can participate in. We’re together now, more than ever, and working together to use less electricity is a great family activity.

If you are ready for a new Air Conditioning installation, replacement or need A/C Repair, ETR can help.  We offer easy term, new unit payment plans.  Owning a new TRANE air conditioner has never been easier or more more affordable.

At East Texas Refrigeration, we understand how important it is to seal your home. In Tyler and nearby east Texas communities, it can be downright hot in summer and cold in the winter.  What can you do to make sure you are staying comfortable in your home and not wasting money on higher energy bills?
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