Precool To Save Money

Air conditioner use accounts for as much as 40 percent of a typical household’s summer energy consumption. You can manage your cooling costs by precooling your home during hours when the price of electricity is low, then using less air conditioning during higher priced hours. Many Power Smart Pricing participants have shared stories of their success with precooling, saying it’s an easy way to manage air conditioning costs while keeping their homes comfortable.

To precool your home, simply run the air conditioner in the evening, overnight and during the morning hours when electricity is cheaper. Then increase your thermostat temperature setting or turn off your air conditioner during the afternoon. The goal is for your air conditioner to idle during the highest priced times, especially between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The graph below illustrates this precooling strategy and the table lists recommended thermostat temperature settings for each precooling phase.

 Precooling is easy, although you may have to experiment to find what works best for your house and your comfort level. Of course, the effectiveness of precooling will depend on the outside temperature, humidity levels, and the insulation in your home. You can make precooling more effective by shading south facing windows during the day to minimize heat from the sun. And if you have a programmable thermostat you can set it to help you precool automatically.

Call me today and I will personally visit you and discuss A/C cost cutting ideas with you.

Denny Martin
Air Conditioning by Florida Comfort Systems
3945 Toll House Drive, Unit #907, Naples FL 34114
239-774-5501
We are on call 24/7/365
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Air Filter Tips

Purchasing air conditioning filters can be very confusing.

I am often asked “why doesn’t my filter fit properly in my grille?” There are basically two different “sizes” of filters, and purchasing one can be a little confusing. If you read on the cardboard on the outer edge of the filter it might read 18x18, but the actual size of the return grille opening is only 17 ½ x 17 1/2 . Naturally a filter that measures 18 x 18 will not fit in that opening. The first step in getting the right size filter is to measure the opening inside return grille. Most of our new homes will measure to the exact size of the filter you would like to purchase; if not then you must find a filter that has a note on the outer edge that reads 18x18 x 1G. This lets you know that the filter has been under cut to fit the older style return grilles that are very common.

If you are installing the filter in your air handler then you must measure the filter rack that is built into the unit at the time of manufacturing. These should all measure to exact measurements and not have to be undercut.

To learn more about air filters, contact Denny Martin Jr. at 239-774-5501. Denny is a Certified Test & Balance professional. Denny's aim is to provide customers with exactly what is expected in a timely manner, and work is 100% guaranteed.