How to save energy
In most Florida homes, air conditioning accounts for 40-50% or more of the annual electric bill. So, this is the best place to start controlling your own energy consumption.
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Keep your thermostat at 78 with the fan switch on “auto.”
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Cool your home only when you're there. When you leave for the day, move the thermostat up to 82 and turn it back down to 78 when you come back. It costs a lot less to bring the temperature down to 78 than it does to keep it at 78 all day. You can even buy a programmable thermostat that will do this for you automatically, so your home will be nice and cool whenever you're there...and you won't be wasting money when you're not.
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Remind everyone in the family how thermostats work: Your house won’t cool down faster if you set the thermostat at 70. It just wastes money. If you want the temperature at 78, set the thermostat at 78.
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Ceiling fans don't actually cool a room; they just make you feel cooler. That means they don't do you any good when nobody's in the room so you can turn them off. Try setting your thermostat a few degrees higher and use your ceiling fan to keep you cool while you are in the room. A fan that runs constantly can cost up to $7 a month, depending on age and size.
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Clean or change your A/C filter once a month. A clogged filter makes your A/C work harder than it has to.
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Maintain proper airflow through your system. Keep the interior door and vents open to help your A/C circulate air more efficiently.
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Keep sunlight out during summer months. If you have a lot of windows, you'll save on air conditioning if you keep the drapes or blinds closed when you're not home.
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Check your duct system for leaks. If you have central air, check all the ducts and seals. If they leak, you're wasting money.
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Should you want assistance in saving energy- Programmable thermostat installation, Duct work, Duct Cleaning etc. please contact us today!
Good Practice for bedrooms and dens energy savings
Bed-Side Lamp
Replace fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products.
Lighting is one of the easiest places to start saving energy. Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR qualified lights can save $70 a year in energy costs. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures feature stylish designs and are available in a variety of models of lamps and fixtures. ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.
Windows
During the winter months, replace your screens with storm windows to provide an extra barrier to the cold outside air. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and doorframes that leak air.
If replacing windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified models designed for your area, and save $20-$95 each year in energy costs. With proper installation to ensure all gaps are sealed around them, ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help improve your comfort, cut drafts, and reduce fading of interior furnishings.
Learn how to fix problems with moisture on windows in your home.
Air Conditioning duct vents
Keep air registers and vents clear to allow air to flow freely throughout the room.
Many customers complain about long run times
However, Proper system sizing for long runtimes along with a computerized variable speed blower motor to keep the evaporator's heatload capacity rating optimized, would help to achieve more of the BTUH, EER, & SEER Ratings of the unit!
How old is your air conditioner?
Consider buying a new A/C system. How old is your air conditioner? The older it is, the less efficient it is. And if it's 10 years old or more, it has to work much harder to cool the same area compared to a new unit. FPL offers rebates to help you buy a more efficient air conditioning system ask us about all the rebates available today on high efficiency systems.
Did you know that reports have shown that you could chop as much as 33% off of your electric bill just by choosing a more energy efficient air conditioner?
How Important is my SEER Rating vs. EER?
Today's air conditioning industry educates the consumer by promoting SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)very commonly used term in the industry to be able to identify an energy efficient system, as this may be true it is not your most efficient unit in certain parts of the coutry like southern Florida.
SEER is the acronym for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Using numbers between 8 and 23, SEER tells consumers how energy efficient an AC unit is. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the unit is.
For example, if you upgrade your old system with has a SEER rating of 9 to one with a 13 (which is the lowest legal limit now), you can cut your energy use by a third. This is why when you’re shopping for an air conditioner, it’s extremely important to pay attention to its SEER rating.
Understanding SEER vs. EER (This is important information for Florida air conditioning systems)
The SEER rating is at only one set of conditions that are NOT typical of what we design for. Summer Outdoor Design varies however, we usually design for 75-F indoors NOT 80-F, also when systems' are downsized properly to achieve long runtimes the Part Load Factor becomes far less of a factor. Always go by the EER Rating NOT the SEER rating because as the SEER goes higher the EER ratio to it drops. Therefore, when the system is sized properly you have have a lot more steady-state continuous runtime cycles & the PLF will be minimized.
The SEER of a system is determined by multiplying the steady state energy efficiency ratio (EER) measured at conditions of 82°F outdoor temperature, 80°F dB and 67°F wB indoor entering air temperature by the Part Load Factor (PLF) of the system. (The PLF is supplied by the government.)
Air conditioner EER ratings, and BTUH Tons of Cooling Capacity ratings on Air Conditioning units are rated at an outdoor temperature of 95°F, and an indoor 80ºF dB 67ºF WB or, a 50% Relative Humidity.
Penguin Air is a participating FPL licensed contractor
You could save $100's cooling your home
A more efficient system can save money on your cooling and heating costs and FPL may also provide you with a rebate.
Use the calculator below to see how much you could save by replacing your home's current A/C system.
We'll help you to compare A/C systems you're considering by
Air conditioner tonnage size
efficiency ratings (i.e. SEER)
estimated annual savings and
FPL rebate
Key Benefits when upgrading to a high efficiency AC
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Significantly surpasses government efficiency standards, helping you save up to 56% on your energy bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions*
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Two Stage Condenser units: Contains two compressors that provide two-stage cooling, running at an energy-saving 50% capacity most of the time, which may help lower your cooling bills*
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Variable speed Air handlers: Runs quietly and keeps temperature even from room to room with its variable speed fan motor helps remove unwanted humidity from the air, leaving you feeling cooler and more comfortable.*
*Potential energy savings may vary depending on your lifestyle, system settings, equipment maintenance, local climate, home construction and installation of equipment and duct system.
Two-stage Heating / Two-stage Cooling
Two-stage heating and cooling is considered to be more efficient, because it operates at a low, energy-saving speed most of the time. However, on days when more heating or cooling is required, it switches to the next stage for maximum comfort.
Variable speed air handlers
The fan motor inside higher efficiency indoor and outdoor units is designed to change its speed based on your home's heating and air conditioning requirements. Working in conjunction with your thermostat, it keeps the appropriate-temperature air (e.g., warm air on cold days) circulating throughout your home, reducing temperature variances. The variable speed motor also increases dehumidification and is quiet because it runs at a lower speed most of the time. Plus, the consistent air circulation eliminates noisy startups and shutdowns.
What is SEER?
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating that measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit.
What is EER?
The EER of an air conditioner is its British thermal units (BTU) rating over its wattage. For example, if a 10,000-BTU air conditioner consumes 1,200 watts, its EER is 8.3 (10,000 BTU/1,200 watts). The higher the EER is, the more efficient the air conditioning unit is.
Call to Schedule a Free Estimate
If your ready to increase the comfort level of your home and lower your energy bills, give us a call and we will arrange for a Penguin Air Comfort Advisor to come to your home at your convenience.
239-601-7477 
Installation of a larger A/C system
A properly sized air conditioner will cool and dehumidify your home. An air conditioning system that is too large will not dehumidify the air and an air conditoning system that is too small will not keep your house cool on the hottest days. The air conditioner size should not be based on the size of your home alone there are other parameters that should be taken into consideration such as local outdoor temperature,
humidity,
windows that let in heat from the sun,
Ceiling heights, insulation, and
the number and lifestyle of your home's occupants. If cooling the home has always been a problem, perhaps a Heat Load Calculation in your home could help understand and improve your air conditioning system performance.
Over 70% of the homes in the US have been reported to have improper air conditioning duct size, undersized returns, Poor airflow,
High velocity air flow causing noisy registers,
improper duct size distribution,
duct leakage.
What the technician needs to calculates is the load capacity, including your duct system, many times the air conditioning duct system is leaking withdrawing heat or loosing cool air into the attic. If the capacity is too small, then the heating and cooling system will work too hard and too long, wearing out the parts of the system and wasting energy. On the other hand, if the capacity is too large, the system will cycle on and off too rapidly, leaving humidity in the air and failing to keep the air inside at a desired temperature. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning system or unit of the wrong capacity for your home or business can directly result in wasted efficiency adding to the cost of your electric bill and other consequenses.
Have your A/C installation or repair done right!
A recent study by a
major electrical utility found that 79% of newly installed
systems had either significantly too much or too little
refrigerant gas. In fact FPL reports a large number of complaints from customers with high utility bills, poor duct work, improper installation reduces the amount
of cooling created, and often causes premature failure of the
new system.
It takes time and training to correct the refrigerant gas
charge, proper soldering, flushing out refrigerant lines from minerals contaminents, check each plenums for rot or mold, proper glue seal all duct joints, A181 tape and mastic, vacuum down with a micron gauge to ensure proper microns before releasing the new refrigerant into the system, checking proper supply and return differentials and the list goes on for each installation.
Our Technicians can rebuild a plenum on site, all our trucks are equiped to be able to perform a good installation with the proper parts and tools. Penguin Air's technicians are all certified and attend yearly on going training. Very few residential contractors know how to do it properly. And even if they do know how, many still don't invest the time needed. A good contractor will either precisely weigh in the proper charge, or adjust it based on careful temperature, relative humidity and refrigerant gas pressure measurements. Improper installation of air conditioning systems is the leading cause for most equipment failure, poor duct work seal, unleveled install, improper wiring and breakers, missing traps, overcharged freon and the list goes on.
The air conditioning system, surprisingly is the least thought of, but is truly the hardest working and one of the most expensive component in the home, consuming over 50% of the electric bill and not to mention the quality of air that you and your family breathes.
Call us for a free estimate or a service call, all work guaranteed, Our Technicians are trained in customer service and work integrity, Penguin Air will not take short cuts or nickel and dime our customers. Choose Penguin Air and invest in a comfort system that will last you for many years to come.
Our estimates includes it all. We get the job done right!
Allergies - Indoor Air Quality