Living in Florida means you can expect to see bigger electrical costs during the summer months. Air conditioning systems consume enormous amounts of electricity compared to most other appliances in a house, and there isn’t any way to get around using an air conditioner during our summers. Not if you don’t want to be absolutely miserable.
You probably already have a general idea of what the electric cost increase in summer will be. If your monthly utility bills arrive and you see that you’re paying significantly more than you expect, it’s likely that the air conditioner is the cause—and it’s something more than the standard electric usage for the AC. You may need air conditioning repair in St. Petersburg, FL, and below we’ll look into some of the possibilities behind a cooling system that has turned into an energy hog.
The air filter needs to be changed
The filter for your home’s central HVAC system needs to be changed regularly, usually every one to three months (depending on the type of filter). It’s all too common for people to leave the filter in place over the winter and spring months when the HVAC system isn’t being used as often, and this can lead to starting the summer with a clogged filter. When the filter is clogged, it will make the AC work harder to do its job which will raise electrical bills. The solution is simple: put in a clean filter (and keep up with routine filter changes in the future).
The AC has missed maintenance
We strongly recommend our customers have maintenance for their AC done each spring. This is beneficial for several reasons: it extends equipment life, improves cooling capacity, and reduces the wear and tear that lead to many malfunctions. Relevant to our current discussion, maintenance also prevents rises in the cost to run an AC because of drops in energy efficiency. If you haven’t had professionals maintain your air conditioner for several years, this is the most likely cause of those steep electric bills. Sign up for our Premier Service Agreement and we’ll see you don’t have these problems.
The air conditioner needs targeted repairs
When your AC begins to struggle to keep the house cool, you’ll want professionals to check on it and see if it needs repairs. You should apply the same standard to an AC that’s costing too much to run. Even if your air conditioner is still keeping the house cool, high bills can mean that something is wrong somewhere, and it may soon start to affect indoor comfort. Let our pros look into the system and find what needs to be fixed.
The air conditioner is ready to be replaced
Huge electrical bills to run an AC are often warning that the entire cooling system is too old to work efficiently. The standard service life of an air conditioner is from 10 to 15 years, so if your AC is in that range and is trying to break the bank each month, call our technicians for an air conditioner health check. We’ll give you honest answers about whether you should repair or replace the AC.
