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Four Ways to Cut Cooling Costs in San Antonio

. Posted by in • San Antonio

With the area’s year-long warm weather and summer heat spells that don’t break for weeks at a time, high cooling costs are one of the major drawbacks of living in San Antonio. Find out what changes you can make to keep your energy bills in check when temperatures rise.

While San Antonio’s sunny climate is one of its main attractions, it’s a perk that comes with a hefty price tag for many local residents. If your home has an outdated HVAC system or lacks insulation, your cooling costs can skyrocket during the hot and humid summer days when not using air conditioning isn’t an option. The good news is that it’s possible to keep your cooling costs under control with a few small changes to your lifestyle and maintenance routine. Below are some of the best ways to bring your monthly energy bills down before the next heat wave hits our … Read Full Post »

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What’s the Big Deal With Efficiency Ratings?

. Posted by in • Austin

Austin may enjoy some pleasant spring and fall temperatures, but most area homeowners rely on heating and cooling systems to keep them comfortable during extremely hot summers and chilly winters. A great HVAC system can certainly boost home comfort, but many homeowners have to balance their comfort needs against their utility budgets. Thankfully, meeting comfort needs and staying within budget is possible when you pay close attention to HVAC efficiency ratings.

Heating & Air Conditioning Efficiency Ratings

Efficiency ratings are designed to provide consumers with accurate information about the costs of using various home appliances. Efficiency ratings are also used by the municipal, state and federal governments to determine if homeowners can qualify for special incentives or tax credits when buying new HVAC equipment. Before shopping, take time to familiarize yourself with these common HVAC ratings:

• EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings are used to describe the efficiency of air conditioners. Units with … Read Full Post »

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Put Your Air Conditioning System to the Test

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Will your AC pass or fail this summer?

Summertime in San Antonio is always cooler with iced tea, pool time and an air conditioner you can count on. The last thing you want on a sweltering day is a failing HVAC system. You can help your AC make the grade, but a professional checkup should always be part of the strategy.

Do Your Homework

It’s so easy to forget about that AC filter. Meanwhile, it collects dust, pet hair and carpet fibers that cut down on critical air circulation. When you replace it, write the date on the new filter’s frame and be sure to change it every three months. The outside unit needs a little special care too. Turn the system off before you mow the yard, so it won’t suck up clippings while you work. Be sure to give it a monthly spray with the garden hose to clear out dead … Read Full Post »

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Lower Your Heating Costs with These Fail-Safe Tips

. Posted by in • Austin

Winter expenses like home heating and holiday gifts tend to pile up quickly, and so there’s a chance that, like most people, you’re running a little low on cash this time of year. By following these tips, you can lower your heating costs immediately and with little effort.

Have Your Furnace Inspected

For safety reasons and to save money, it’s important to have your system carefully inspected before using it. A qualified technician will clean and inspect your motor, blower, fan and other components of your system to ensure that it works correctly and efficiently.

Hire Someone to Inspect and Clean Your Ducts

There’s a good chance that your ducts have leaks and holes in them, which result in wasted heat and higher bills. Ducts also get dirty and clogged, which can cause them to operate less efficiently. Arrange to have your ducts inspected and cleaned by an HVAC expert to lower your bills, … Read Full Post »

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Year-Round Efficiency with ABC’s Preferred Service Plan

. Posted by in • Houston

It may surprise you that most people don’t have anyone inspect their HVAC system until something goes wrong. Maybe it doesn’t surprise you because this is exactly how most homeowners treat their heating and cooling. Unfortunately, this maintenance-free approach to central heat and air often leads to inefficiency, costly repairs, and more expensive energy bills. If you’re ready to get the most out of your HVAC system, ABC’s Preferred System Plan can help.

Catch Problems Before They Occur

Can you imagine only performing car maintenance when the check engine light comes on? Most people understand the importance of regular inspections and oil changes. However, they fail to see that their home’s heating and cooling system needs the same attention. Changing the filters regularly is essential, but it isn’t the whole ball of wax. By getting regular inspections, you can catch problems before they occur, meaning you won’t have to wait frantically for … Read Full Post »

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Staying Warm and Cost-Efficient with Home Automation

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth

When the cold weather sets in, homeowners can experience common and persistent problems with their heating system. For example, one part of the house feels excessively warm, while another is freezing. Or this one: You aren’t home very often, but turning your heat off is out of the question—no one enjoys the idea of coming back to a frigid home at the end of the day. Installing a state-of-the-art home automation system can be the perfect answer for all your heating woes, one that can save you a lot of aggravation, money and effort.

Control Your Indoor Climate

With the help of programmable thermostats, you will be able to set temperatures for various times of the day. For instance, you can choose to increase the temperature of your home just in time for when your family returns back from school and work. With multiple zoning systems, you can choose to heat up … Read Full Post »

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5 Money-Saving Secrets to Lowering Energy Costs

. Posted by in • San Antonio

In an economy that begs you to save money wherever you can, you should strongly consider ways to become more efficient with your use of energy. By making a few small tweaks, you can save a considerable amount of money going forward. Here are five money-saving secrets that will have you reaping the financial benefits all year long.

1. Use a Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats will enable you to save money in a few crucial ways. Because these thermostats are designed to turn on or off automatically, you will not have to worry about running your heating and cooling systems for extended periods of time. To reduce your utility bills even more, try to set your thermostat a bit cooler during the winter. A difference of a few degrees can lead to extra cash each month.

2. Subscribe to a Maintenance Plan

To maximize the efficiency of your home heating system, you should subscribe … Read Full Post »

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Winter Prep Tips for Your HVAC System

. Posted by in • Houston

At ABC Houston, we understand that our friends and neighbors depend on their furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps to get through the winter months. The more prepared your system is, the more comfortable you’ll be. Here are eight steps to prepare your HVAC system for the heating season.

1. Get Reversible Ceiling Fans

During the cooling season, fans help your air conditioners run efficiently by circulating the air that collects near the ceiling. During the heating season, a fan with a reverse setting can do the same for your furnace. For best results, invest in an Energy Star-rated fan.

2. Use a Humidifier

If your home has a forced-air heating system, you’ll find that your indoor air may become uncomfortably dry. A humidifier will help you breathe easier by replacing that lost moisture.

3. New Filters

A dirty filter reduces the efficiency of your furnace by blocking air flow and may lead to other maintenance problems. … Read Full Post »

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Air Conditioning History Timeline

. Posted by in • San Antonio
air conditioning history timeline

It’s hard to imagine a hot Texas summer with sweltering temperatures consistently topping 100 degrees without air conditioning. As citizens of a modern world, perhaps we’ve become spoiled in our expectations of daily amenities, and this got us thinking: who was the genius that invented the modern air conditioning system?

That question turned out to be a little more difficult to answer than we thought. The “invention” of air conditioning was not so much one single “Aha!” moment, but rather several ideas over a few hundred years that got us to the modern HVAC system that we all know and love. Below is a brief air conditioning history timeline to explain how the air conditioner parts and functions have evolved.

Ancient Egypt: Where It All Got Started?

Ancient Egyptians are vaguely credited as being the first to use evaporative cooling by hanging wet cloth or reeds in windows and doorways. As the wind blew … Read Full Post »

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Use the Sun to Cool Your Home This Summer

. Posted by in • San Antonio

With another scorching San Antonio summer approaching, you’re probably not looking forward to seeing your electric bills escalate from using your air conditioner. We have a solution that can not only lower your power bills, but also use those sizzling rays to your advantage: a cooling system powered by solar panels.

How Solar Panels Work

Our cooling systems work with photovoltaic panels, also called PV panels, which consist of silicon and non-reflective glass. The PV panels harness and store photons from the sun’s rays and then convert these particles into electrical power. Similar to a battery, the PV panel first converts the photons into DC power, which is sent to an inverter that converts it to AC power that can be used to run an air conditioning unit, as well as other household devices.

How Solar-Powered Cooling Systems Work

Most of our residential customers choose a grid-tied PV system, which uses a combination of … Read Full Post »

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