FALL IS IN THE AIR
HOW FALL WEATHER IMPACTS YOUR AC AND HEATING SYSTEM
The Halloween decorations are hitting New Jersey shelves and school busses are on the roads again. That means fall weather is not far behind.
That also means it’s time to make some changes in your HVAC routine.
THE USUAL STUFF
Leaves are going to start to fall and the wind might even be whipping up. That means debris is gathering around the condenser unit outside. Don’t do this once. Check it periodically especially if you experience a lot of leaves falling on your property.
And don’t forget to peek inside the condenser. Check for any debris that might be collecting on the fins, making the unit work harder. If you’re not comfortable disconnecting the power and opening the unit yourself, call your trusted HVAC pros at Temp Control to clean and inspect your unit.
Of course, if you haven’t done it–and you’ve heard it from us every other month– check your filters. This is, honestly, one of the easiest and most important maintenance tips that keeps your system healthy and keeps your wallet closed.
THE REAL DEAL
Now, for the kicker. When the weather starts getting chilly, plan on setting your thermostat to 68 degrees when you’re at home and at around 60 degrees when you’re away.
The Department of Energy has found that you can save around 1 percent on annual heating costs for each degree you lower the setting on your thermostat–as long as you do that for at least eight hours at a time.
Knocking down your thermostat while you’re at work to 60 or even 55 degrees can save you bucks. Plus, if you can read your owner’s manual and learn how to program your thermostat, you can tell it to start heating the house to 68 degress about 30 minutes before you get home. On a typical fall day, it won’t take long at all to get the house comfy before you step in the door.
One step further: turn the thermostat back down when you go to bed. Your body temperature drops anyway when you sleep. Dropping the thermostat a few degrees–as low as 60–will actually help you sleep better and save you some money.
Speaking of thermostats, Temp Control has great promotional deals on Wi-Fi thermostats. Wi-Fi thermostats, if you don’t already have one, will allow you to easily control your thermostat with your phone and maybe you won’t have to spend a whole lot of time reading an owner’s manual.
Plus, many utility companies will GIVE you a Wi-Fi thermostat or offer rebates for installing one. Check with your local energy company or give Temp Control a call to see what deals you can find.
MAINTENANCE PLUS
We’ve got a few great deals going at Temp Control for the fall. We’re offering $79 maintenance tuneups where our pros check your system in and out. This is a great way to transition into fall and winter. Plus, it gives you peace of mind and one less homeowner issue to worry about before fall suddenly turns to a cruel New Jersey winter.