Efficiency is everything when it comes to heating and cooling a home these days. When your HVAC unit isn’t running efficiently, you will to be paying a lot more each month on your energy bills. Cates Heating and Cooling wants all of our customers in the Kansas City Metro Area to know the signs of an inefficient HVAC system so that you can get the problem solved as quickly as possible.

1.     Your Unit Runs Constantly

When your HVAC unit never seems to shut off, you should be a little bit concerned. This means that your system isn’t large enough to handle the demands of your home or the climate in which you live. An overworked HVAC unit will experience frequent breakdowns. Over time, these breakdowns will cost you a lot of money. Additionally, an inefficient HVAC system will cost more in energy bills each month.

2.     Your Energy Bills Seem High

One of the easiest ways to determine that your HVAC unit is no longer efficient is to check your monthly energy bills. Have you noticed that the bills are exceptionally high over the last few months? This is likely caused by an inefficient HVAC system. Be sure to compare utility bills from the previous year to the current year instead of just comparing one month to the next. There will be fluctuations due to weather conditions, but if you notice large jumps in your bills, you might start looking at your HVAC unit more closely.

3.     Your House Feels Humid

If your air conditioner is running, but your home still feels humid, you might be dealing with coil problems. While this isn’t always an easy problem to stop, you can contact an HVAC professional to check out your unit. When a professional looks over your HVAC system, they will be able to tell you if your system is running inefficiently.

4.     Temperatures Vary Between Rooms

If you start to notice dramatic temperature changes as you walk between the rooms of your house, you probably have ductwork problems that need to be addressed. For example, your ductwork is probably either too long or very dirty. Both of these problems can make your HVAC unit run less efficiently. A ductwork leak could also cause similar problems. You might also need to change the air filter.  If you can’t make a determination yourself, contact a professional HVAC company to get a consultation.

How to Help Your HVAC Unit Run More Efficiently

Keeping your HVAC system and ductwork clean and free of dust and dirt is the best way to increase the efficiency of your HVAC unit. Make sure that you are vacuuming out the vents and ducts as well as you possibly can. You can also consider having your ductwork professionally cleaned.

Air filters should also be changed when they are dirty. We always recommend that air filters are changed at least once a month. You can also invest in reusable air filters that you clean each month. No matter what, keeping your air filters clean is the best way to keep dust and dirt out of your duct system.

Work with a professional HVAC service company, like Cates Heating and Cooling, to make sure that regular maintenance checks are performed at least once a year. At Cates Heating and Cooling, we like to schedule two maintenance checks each year. One of these checks is done in the spring, while the other gets done in the fall. This allows us to check your air conditioner before you need to use it in the summer and your heater before you turn it on for the winter.

Contact Cates Heating and Cooling today at 913-888-4470 to get on our maintenance plan to ensure that your HVAC unit is always in the best working order.