We’ve previously touched on things you can do around your house to run your air con more economically and we’ll drop those tips here, but today we take it a little further. Not all eco friendly gadgets were created equal and some are better than others in minimising the power usage of your air con while maintaining a perfect air climate. Today, we’re going to focus on those features and how they can better your home. If saving money on power and protecting the environment is important to you (and thankfully, they usually go hand in hand!), then look into the following eco-friendly features that work to boost your air con next time you’re looking to upgrade your system.

Eco-Friendly Air Con Technology

Smart Thermostat

Using a smart thermostat can help you cut energy costs associated with heating and cooling within a ducted system (and some split systems). Smart thermostats allow you to turn your air conditioner system on and off when you’re not around and help set the temperature at a level that is suitable for either summer or winter, depending on the time of year. Overall it helps you maintain the temperature at the level you want it – rather than letting your air conditioner run continuously at its set temperature even when the room has cooled or heated past the set temperature. Do you notice your room getting too cold or hot leading to you to constantly reset your air con? That wastes your money and energy. Get a smart thermostat to sort it out for you.

Smart thermostats can also be purchased separately to work with your existing air con if you aren’t looking to upgrade your air conditioner just yet. Just make sure it’s easy to set up and compatible with your air con before purchasing (otherwise you may encounter some hardship trying to re-engineer a smart thermostat).

Geothermal Heat Pump

You may be familiar with geothermal heat pumps for water, but did you know that this technology also allows you to heat or cool your air? Geothermal heat pumps work by moving temperature-conducting fluid through an underground loop of pipes beneath or near your home. This fluid collects the thermal energy deposited in the earth from the sun and pumps it into your home – or vise versa in summer. In basic terms, it’s either removing heat from your home’s air or the ground to create the ideal temperature. This system is growing in popularity, particularly in cold European countries where heating is necessary (and where they’re more invested in climate change). Now it’s growing more popular in Australia as energy prices grow. Geothermal technology, while expensive to set up, saves you money in the long term (and is better for the environment) as it uses ground temperature to cool or heat your home.

Solar Power

In a similar vein to geothermal energy, solar power uses the sun, a natural resource, to produce power for your home and is an excellent source of energy for heating and cooling. Switching to solar energy not only dramatically reduces your energy bill, but it is better for the environment (like all of our tips). If you’re thinking about solar, remember to consider how much sun your house is exposed to throughout the year, rather than how hot it gets, to determine the feasibility of getting solar power for your air con.

Two Stage or Variable Compressors

It’s one thing to get an energy efficient air con, but sometimes it comes down to the compressors used within an air conditioning system. Compressors work to regulate the air temperature in your home when set on your thermostat. While a single compressor works at 100% capacity, variable speed compressors and two stage compressors work at lower capacities to keep your home cooler throughout the day. You’ll know you have a single compressor if you feel a blast of cold air as soon as the thermostat increases – on the other hand, two stage or variable compressors constantly work at a slow and steady pace to maintain temperature. While you may think this chews up more electricity, it actually is more draining for your system to repeatedly turn on and off throughout the day. Your air conditioner isn’t using up as much power when it’s running compared to when it’s starting up. So, if you’re looking at installing a central cooling system, look into getting a two stage or variable speed compressor to save on power!

Central Cooling Ducted System

While split systems are cheaper and run quite economically, sometimes a ducted system is necessary to meet the demands of high energy use. For households or offices that plan on running multiple units across rooms or spaces, the running and installation costs for a ducted system might be better value in the long run, especially if taking into account other energy saving measures incorporated into the home. In combination with a smart thermostat, geothermal heating and cooling (or solar!), and other eco-friendly features, ducted systems can pretty much end up paying for themselves.

Other Things You Can Do to Keep Your Air Con as Energy Efficient as Possible

Regular Maintenance

For existing systems, it’s important to get them serviced regularly to ensure the best quality air is entering your home, and to ensure your unit is running safely. Getting a professional to come and take a look at your air conditioning system can help you detect how your air con is operating and can maintain its efficiency over time. Air-Rite Mechanical Services provides various types of maintenance services tailored to suit your air con and requirements. Air Rite’s trained experts come fully equipped with service vehicles and aim to respond as quickly as possible to reduce the time on breakdowns.

Clean Out Your Filters

For those that own single or split system units, this is something that you can easily do yourself to improve your air quality. All you need to do is pop out your air conditioner filters and wash them with some warm soapy water. Rinse them off and make sure they’re completely dry before inserting them back into your system.

In Summary

That wraps up our top features for boosting your air con’s energy efficiency and lessening its environmental impacts. Incorporating some of these features in conjunction with those from the previous article means extra savings for you! Next time you’re looking to upgrade, consider installing some of the features we’ve mentioned in this article to help your air con run more economically.

Air Rite Mechanical Services are trusted experts in air conditioning services. Browse through our range of top products from the best brands in air conditioning, or contact us for installation or maintenance enquiries.