When 110 degree weather is a normal occurance, you know you live in Palm Springs. Sure, that desert heat is great for a day out at the pool, but keeping your home cool can become a nightmare.
Don’t worry:
We’ve created a list of the top 3 desert air conditioning tips you need to know to keep your AC working right, and keep your home cool without breaking the bank.
The recommended air filter maintenance you hear about from other sources are for ordinary environments. When you live in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, or anywhere else in the Coachella Valley, you need to adjust your air filter maintenance accordingly. The Coachella Valley is windy, and that hot wind carries a lot of dust.
Think about it:
Your AC is filtering out all that desert dust to keep the air in your home pleasant to breathe, every single day! Tack on 100+ degree weather, and your AC is working really hard to keep you happy! Pay it forward by replacing your air filter more than once per year. In fact, we recommend you change your air filter every season. Extreme desert weather calls for a new air filter at least once every 3 months.
Your AC unit will thank you, and you’ll be much happier knowing your AC is working efficiently. You may want to also invest in a high quality air purifier for even higher quality air in your home!
Have you ever felt short of breath?
That’s what your AC is feeling when the outside unit is covered in dirt and debris.
When was the last time you checked your outdoor AC unit?
We’re willing to bet that it’s been a while. Go out back and really inspect your AC condenser (that’s what the outdoor part of your AC is called).
You may be surprised!
If you went ahead and checked your AC right now, you may be surprised as to all the junk you found lodged in the grates.
That’s right!
All that junk is blocking your AC’s air flow which is pretty bad for your AC unit’s lifespan and efficiency. Factor in the extreme desert heat and you’ve got a recipe for a broken air conditioner.
Have you ever heard of the saying, “it’s hard do get a train going, but once it does, it’s hard to stop?”.
That train is your AC unit! It’s much, much easier on your AC unit to maintain a constant temperature throughout the day than to cool the house on and off. In a way, you can call this temperature momentum. Once the house is cooled down to your desired temperature, you home’s AC has a lot of momentum going and it doesn’t have to work as hard. In Palm Springs where inside temperatures can reach over 100 degrees, it can cost a fortune trying to pull the temperature back down to 70 all the time. Set it to 68-78 and keep it there! If you want the most bang for your buck, check out these cool Nest thermostats!
Your water heater is easy to forget about. Every morning you get up and take your shower, and hot water flows through your home just like it has every morning before, but as it does its job, your water heater is using valuable energy. There are some maintenance steps you can take to make it run as efficiently as possible and also extend its life. If you've been wondering what water heater maintenance Los Angeles HVAC pros recommend, here's what the team at NexGen Air wants you to know.
To keep your water heater efficient, you will want to:
Hot water is a necessity, but you may not need the water to be quite as hot as you think. Every 10 degrees you lower your heater will save about 3 to 5 percent on your energy bills, and also keep your heater from working too hard. Instead of the 140 degrees most heaters are preset for, lower it to 120. However, don't go lower, as too cool will allow more mineral buildup.
One of the problems that plague water heaters is sediment and debris. Drain ¼ of the water in the tank several times a year to reduce this problem. Before draining, turn off the electricity or gas to put out the pilot light, then hook up a hose to the drain and run for 10 to 15 minutes.
Insulate all exposed hot water pipes. This will help in two ways. First, it will stop heat loss. Second, it will help your water to arrive hotter at the faucet. This means less time running the water and waiting for it to warm, so not only will you lose less heating energy but you will also lose less water.
Putting an insulation blanket around the water heater will improve its efficiency, particularly if you have an older unit. In fact, you could see a 45% reduction in heat loss with this addition.
If you have a family with four people, and each of those four people showers for five minutes a day, you will use 700 gallons of water a week. That's a significant amount. To make your water heater more efficient, use less hot water. Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators on bathroom and kitchen faucets will help. These steps can reduce hot water use by up to 60%.
Have a professional HVAC technician inspect your water heater once a year. This will ensure that any small problems that are developing are addressed before they hurt the system's efficiency or cause a system breakdown.
The T&P Valve release pressurized hot water when the pressure builds to a high level inside the tank. As it wears out, it may start releasing water too often. You can address this by either lowering the temperature in the water heater a few degrees or replacing a faulty or failing valve.
