Stay Cool and Comfortable

What is the best way to manage central air conditioning in a time of ever-climbing electricity prices? There is no magic bullet but there are a number of simple steps you can take to ensure that your air-conditioning system works at peak efficiency.

Keeping air-conditioning costs down begins with choosing an efficient, reliable central cooling system. If your system is more than 8 years old, there could well be a substantial pay-back by replacing it with a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, or SEER rated system. This describes how much cooling the unit delivers for each watt of electricity it consumes. A SEER of 10 or less puts you in the low-efficiency range. New federal regulations scheduled to take effect in 2006 will set the minimum SEER at 13.

Whether or not you are a candidate for a new air-conditioning system, you may be able to cut back on air-conditioning costs without seriously inconveniencing your family or breaking the bank.

Maintaining your system is extremely important. Other than the recommended Spring and Fall service calls by an air conditioning professional, there are other things that you can easily do on your own:

• Clean or replace the air conditioner's filter monthly
• Get annual, detailed equipment inspections.
• Keep fallen leaves, grass clippings, and other dirt and debris away from your system's outdoor condenser and keep the condenser coils clean.
• Cut back grass and foliage to permit easy airflow around your home.
• Check you ducts for leaks and seal any that you find. Insulate ducts in spaces such as your attic and garage that are not air conditioned.
• Don't block vents or ducts inside the house.
• Caulk and install weather stripping around windows and doors.

A common sense approah and working with Mother Nature can also help.For instance.

• Raise the thermostat setting as much as possible without sacrificing comfort. For every degree you raise the setting, you can expect to cut your cooling costs by 3 percent or more.
• Use shades, vented awnings, blinds, or curtains to keep sunlight out, especially in the afternoon in west-facing rooms.
• Plant trees and shrubs to keep the house and the air conditioner's outdoor component in the shade, yet still allow air to circulate. Non-evergreen trees are particularly effective because they let sunlight through in the winter and block it in the summer.

Take steps to keep the heat down inside your home, particularly during the heat of the day:

• Run fans to keep air moving and you will feel cooler.
• Use the oven sparingly and avoid baking in midday.
• Lamps, TV's and other small appliances produce heat. Turn them off when not in use.
• Run appliances (dishwasher, washer and dryer) in the evening when electricity rates may be lower and the heat they generate will have less impact on demand.
• Use fluorescent lights wherever possible. They use less electricity and generate less heat than incandescent lamps.