As the dog days of summer roll on, there’s one common activity that unites almost everybody–trying to beat the heat. The beach or neighborhood pool are places of refuge, and, of course, there’s the shopping mall, the cool darkness of the movie theater or even your air-conditioned car.
But you can’t hide forever. Sooner or later, we all have to come home. And if you’re trying to beat the heat with central air conditioning, window units or any number of assortment of fans, there are ways to use and abuse your equipment and the cost of utilizing it.
Central air conditioning has become more popular in single-family homes, and is either a part of new construction or installed later as an add-on. The size of the unit and the waycooling needs are determined has changed a lot.
The number of square feet in a home was the basic rule of thumb industrywide for years, but with greater interest in efficiency and changes in construction and materials, more contractors are turning to computer-based methods to determine tonnage and load.
“Today, we come into a house and do a proposal,” said Sue Chappel, who runs Chappel’s Heating and Cooling in Wheaton. “It’s called doing a load on the house. We look at glass, doors, square footage. We ask questions about insulation. All these figures are written down and fed into a computer, which calculates the load.”
Air conditioners are sold by tonnage, and the average home requires a 2 1/2- to 3-ton unit. Prices do not exponentially increase as the size goes up. Chappel says the brands she sells average $1,525 for the 2 1/2-ton, $1,615 for the 3-ton.
Brands differ, as does price. Bill Semitekol of Duo-Temp in Schaumburg sells the same tonnage for $1,200 to $1,500, respectively, for the smaller to larger units. Use these figures as a ballpark gauge if you’re planning to buy.
“But don’t think that the bigger unit is better,” said Semitekol. “Too large of a unit won’t reduce the humidity, and too small of one won’t reduce the temperature.”
Chappel belongs to the American Air Conditioning Contractors of America, based in Washington, D.C. This professional association is active in environmental issues, but also presents seminars yearly on the latest in technology.
“The average life of an air-conditioning unit is 8 to 12 years,” says Chappel. “Sometimes the condenser will need to be replaced before that.
Both contractors have similar maintenance suggestions: Keep shrubs and grass away from outdoor units; keep the furnace filter clean; have units inspected at least every other year, with an emphasis on checking the amount of refrigerant–a 10 percent shortage will result in twice the cost to run the unit.
“I’m also big on keeping the condenser clean, which consumers can do by themselves with a hose,” Semitekol said.
Fans, both ceiling and box type, are another popular option used in keeping cool. Ceiling fans used with a cooling system help circulate air that gets trapped in ceilings, and may make a room seem five to eight degrees cooler. Fans also run at one-tenth the cost of an air conditioner.
Contractors disagree somewhat on their real benefits. Ceiling fans help push hot air to the return ducts in a home, which improves air circulation and the evening out of temperatures, but the furnace fan does the same thing. Sometimes people feel cooler because the fan helps evaporate moisture from the skin.
Attic fans help draw hot air trapped inside the house, and according to Chappel, may have a greater impact in the long run. These fans, however, must be used properly.
Larry Young, owner of Young Appliance in Glen Ellyn, says an attic fan can draw 800 to 900 cubic feet of air a minute–air that needs to be replaced to prevent a vacuum.
“Crack a window slightly downstairs, especially if your house is sealed very tight,” he advises.
If you’re using fans as your only source of cooling, the most effective system is to create a flow of air through the house, using a common box fan. Use one to draw air into the house, and another to pull it out. Position fans away from sun-drenched rooms, and try to keep as straight a line as possible for the air flow between them.
Speaking of windows, the forerunner of today’s central air conditioner is the window unit, still used in apartments and in smaller areas such as bedrooms. They represent portable and perhaps instant relief, but there are concerns and safeguards relevant to their use.
“Be sure that they are installed either level or pitched down towards the outside, said Semitekol. “The biggest problem with them, however, is voltage.”
Fifteen-amp service is typical in homes, and a window unit will often draw 13 to 14 amps. If another appliance is plugged in, there could be problems with electrical service.
Usually, three to four units are required to cool an entire floor of a home, so be prepared for some big electric bills.
“With portable units, you’re running a separate fan and condenser for each unit, and they’re all drawing amps,” said Chappel. “With central air, you’re only doing that once.”
Because air isn’t going through duct work, window units work longer and harder, and, in the end, can cost more.
Seventy-eight degrees is the key temperature Commonwealth Edison spokesman Jeff Madsen advises. Every degree below that adds 5 percent to your energy bill. He also recommends cycling the use of your air conditioner.
“Letting the system run for a hour or two, and then shutting it off for a period does a number of things,” Madsen said. “The unit will work more efficiently when you use it, and you’re not forcing your meter to run when it’s off.”
Peg Joice, a customer service representative for Commonwealth Edison, says more people are opting for the budget plan where monthly bills can be spread out over the year and reduce the inflated costs of the cooling season.
Other cool tips:
– Programmable thermostats are available for less than $100 and help raise and lower temperatures when you’re away from home or at night.
– Window units can be set on timers just like central air units; have the timer set for an hour before you come home.
– Window coverings that reduce sunlight can help your system work better and cheaper.
– Buy units with a high SEER rating–seasonal energy efficiency ratio; the higher the number, the better.
