Heating A Full House
The new “COVID-19 normal” has brought on new stressors to our daily lives and to our homes. You may have noticed now that your entire family is restricted to the four walls of your home, that your energy bills have been on the rise. These are unprecedented times, and we are all facing adjustments. Even your AC and HVAC units can tell that there is simply more going on inside your home. More stuff, more people, more time spent, and in the end more heat!
A vacant house costs more to heat and is a drain on your HVAC system. So, the fewer possessions you have inside your home, the more energy it takes to maintain it. The reverse is true if you have all your people home with you. The more bodies inside the home, the more energy it takes to cool the place. If you’ve noticed your home is running hotter than usual, the reason is likely due to more time spent indoors and the use of more appliances.
There are ways to maintain the heat levels inside your home without adjusting the temperature on your thermostat. Constantly changing your thermostat down lower and lower will raise your bill, and force your machine to work even harder. If you’re trying to cool the place down without letting the hot air outside in, consider trying the following tricks:
● Check your HVAC filter. A clogged filter makes your home run less efficiently than a clean one would. If you haven’t changed your filter recently, it could be cause for a slow running AC unit.
● Check the outdoor unit. If your outdoor unit is covered by bushes, free flowing air has a harder time making its way to the machine. You will need to remove any leaves or debris that could have gathered around the machine, and from anywhere near the fan.
● Check all your vents. This is perhaps one of the easiest things to overlook when contemplating why your AC is running in a less than desirable manner. Look at all your vents to make sure they are open and allow cool air to pass through in your home. It’s also a good idea to move furniture or rugs that may be blocking the air from circulating in your home.
If you’ve tried all of these, and your AC is still not cooling the place down as well as usual, it’s a good idea to give your favorite Minnesota HVAC professionals a call. Priority Heating & Cooling will work with you to maintain social distancing while servicing your unit and ensuring you receive the best service around! We are here for any of your HVAC or AC unit needs and look forward to servicing your home soon!
