When you arrived at your new home in Bessemer, Alabama, you were likely greeted by cool air produced by an efficient air conditioner. That air conditioner has kept you cool for years, so what more could you possibly want? Innovation within the HVAC industry has made it possible to further maximize the efficiency of an air conditioner and the comfort it produces. HVAC technology that can be added to your air conditioner will introduce you to a new world of comfort and efficiency. Here are three HVAC add-ons for a more comfortable home.
Programmable and Smart Thermostats for HVAC
This HVAC technology has grown in popularity over the years as homeowners have realized the difference it makes in their home and in their budget. Programmable thermostats allow you to personalize the temperature control within your home. With it, you can program different temperatures for different times of the day (which also increases efficiency, if you do it right) and even different temperatures for different parts of the home. After all, we all have that family member who is too hot or too cold when the rest of us are perfectly comfortable.
Smart thermostats, which are programmable thermostats with Wi-Fi connectivity and a few extra features, further increase the convenience of temperature control by putting it in the palm of your hand. With it, you can control your thermostat right from the surface of your smartphone. Most smart thermostats also send you weekly diagnostic reports that tell you where you may be wasting energy. Cutting back on energy loss saves money and makes the system more efficient, further raising comfort.
Whole-Home Air Cleaners
Many HVAC add-ons provide a boost to indoor air quality. IAQ and comfort go hand-in-hand because indoor air quality affects both your health and the efficiency of your air conditioner unit. When indoor air quality goes bad, so does your comfort.
Your air conditioner comes with a built-in air filter. This filter catches dust, dirt, and other irritants, keeping them from getting into the system or from being blown throughout your home. These filters, however important, do not catch everything, and they need very regular replacement (about once a month) to keep them from reducing system efficiency. The alternative add-on: a whole-home air cleaner.
Whole-home air cleaners catch many more irritants and allergens than a standard air filter. Many of them even kill the irritants (with a brief electrical charge, for example) in addition to catching them, ensuring that they never bother you again. With a whole-home air cleaner, your indoor air quality will drastically rise, leading to greater HVAC efficiency and comfort. After all, who can be comfortable with a constantly runny nose and itchy throat?
Whole-Home Dehumidifier
Too much humidity may not be an issue in every home, but those who have to deal with it lose more than just comfort. Too much humidity during the summer months increases the rate of mold growth and can damage wood floors and other wood furnishings. A healthy humidity level in all seasons is vital to maintaining healthy indoor air quality as well as the structure of a home.
A whole-home dehumidifier pulls moisture out of the air and returns it to a healthy humidity level. It works in league with your air conditioner to make sure that it doesn’t over-cool your home when it pulls out the moisture. With healthy humidity levels created by a dehumidifier, you’ll be able to enjoy greater indoor air quality and comfort.
The cost of an HVAC add-on may cause some homeowners to hesitate, but the money spent is well worth the reward. With the money you’ll spend on an HVAC add-on, you’ll gain greater HVAC efficiency, which will save you more money on utility costs over time than the cost of the addition. With greater efficiency, your system also will do a better job of providing you with the comfort you deserve. If you have more questions regarding HVAC add-ons, or you would like one to become a part of your air conditioner, give One Source Heating, Cooling & Electrical a call at (205) 509-1929.
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