Conscious cooling is a movement sweeping the nation. More homeowners are deliberately forgoing artificial heating and cooling for environmental purposes.
Considering how glaring climate change has become, sustainability is now on everyone’s minds. With abundant misinformation online, homeowners think trading in their comfort is the only viable option to partake in sustainable movements.
However, there are greener solutions that won’t have you compromise your comfort for the sake of reducing energy consumption. You can reduce your air conditioner’s carbon footprint while ensuring your comfort, convenience, and integrity.
Below you will find techniques to help your air conditioner achieve sustainable cooling.
What Is My Air Conditioner’s Carbon Footprint?
Air conditioners account for seven percent of aggregated energy consumption in the United States. AC energy usage costs over thirty billion dollars ($30 billion) a year, producing over one hundred eighteen million metric tons of Carbon Dioxide(CO2).
There’s no way to measure an individual air conditioner’s carbon footprint accurately. However, some scales make their range measurable.
Carbon Emission Measurements are broken down into three categories.
- Scope 1: Direct Carbon Emissions
- Scope 2: Indirect Carbon Emissions
- Scope 3: Secondary Indirect Carbon Emissions
The first scope holds all appliances directly producing carbon emissions, such as gas cookers and heaters. The third scope only accounts for appliances and habits with intermittent usage, such as traveling, commuting, and other indirect causes.
Unlike furnace systems, AC units don’t directly produce carbon emissions. Air conditioners and other cooling systems fall under the second scope (Scope 2).
The second scope quantifies your home’s preliminary energy consumption, which includes air conditioners and other electrical appliances. To determine your air conditioner’s carbon footprint, you can call for professional Emission Data Collection for the first and second scopes.
Why call for first-scope inspections when your air conditioner only falls under the second?
Air Conditioners and Carbon Emissions
Well-maintained air conditioners do not directly emit any carbon. However, poorly maintained AC systems may lead to direct emissions.
Neglected AC units are capable of increasing your home’s overall carbon emissions. Due to compromised components, your air conditioner may release harmful emissions during everyday operations.
You may tell your air conditioner releases unusual emissions through sensory indicators, like smoke-belching, foul odors, irregular noises, and erratic airflow. Third-party inspectors may measure your air conditioner’s carbon emissions with the help of HVAC professionals.
However, don’t wait for environmental inspectors to tell you your air conditioner is harmful to the environment. You should immediately report your air conditioner’s alarming activity to HVAC professionals to reduce or entirely eradicate direct emissions.
Reporting unusual AC activity to the experts will also helpsecure your AC systems.
Why Should I Reduce My Air Conditioner’s Carbon Footprint?
Being a part of the conscious cooling movement can result in multifaceted benefits. You won’t only help preserve the environment, but you may also notice a positive shift in your indoor conditions.
Reducing your air conditioner’s carbon footprint directly impacts your home and surrounding environment. It may result in significant energy savings, increasing your home’s comfort, convenience, and safety.
You can look forward to sleeping better by opting for more sustainable heating and cooling.
HVAC Systems and Their Environmental Impacts
Some homeowners aren’t aware of how HVAC systems can significantly impact the environment. All HVAC systems are responsible for forty percent(40%) of global carbon emissions.
The staggering environmental impact of conventional heating and cooling has often been overlooked. Ignorance often leads to hazardous neglect.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Inventory, homeowners must observe routine HVAC maintenance to reduce carbon emissions.
Routine practices help reduce environmental impacts and boost energy efficiency.
How Can I Reduce My Air Conditioner’s Carbon Footprint?
The best way to reduce carbon footprint is to forgo usage altogether. However, there are ways you don’t have to skimp on artificial cooling that compromises your comfort.
Rest assured that responsible air conditioning is possible. You can sit back and stay comfortable all summer long. A few tools, techniques, and guts are all it takes to get your air conditioner in tip-top shape for more energy-efficient cooling.
Leave comprehensive maintenance tasks to professionals, but don’t be afraid to manage more accessible components.
Proper AC Maintenance & Upkeep
Inspect, clean, and replace the more accessible elements of your air conditioner to avoid minor issues from developing into more serious problems. Remember that thorough inspections can be life-saving techniques that may expose hidden threats.
While you may sometimes have to dismantle your air conditioner to see internal components, you can also spot imminent threats from the outside. Examine your indoor and outdoor units for visible contamination.
Contamination may lead to clogging and blockages. Hazardous clusters can hinder cooling functions, overworking various components. Struggling components may increase indirect carbon emissions by amplifying energy consumption.
Contaminated air conditioners may eventually lead to direct carbon emissions. Your outdoor unit emitting black smog is not ordinary for any air conditioner. Thoroughly cleaning your AC units helps keep internal components and your airflow pristine.
Pristine air conditioners unburden functions which reduce your air conditioner’s overall carbon footprint. Call professionals for annual tune-up services to boost AC functions and enhance energy efficiency.
Learn about your air conditioner’s internal components to find tasks you can conduct yourself.
Proper Air Filter Management
All air conditioners have internal air filters. The condition of your AC filters can heavily influence your air conditioner’s energy efficiency.
Dirty air filters may promote contamination and attract other hazardous risks. Go through your AC’s user manual and find ways to avoid filter contamination that leads to various AC issues.
Managing air filters is a more basic task but significantly impacts your entire air conditioning system. Don’t worry! Cleaning air filters are easier than you think.
Step-by-Step Guide to Clean Your Air Filters
- Gather baking soda, white vinegar, a spray bottle, and warm water for a homemade cleaning solution.
- Bring a basin and hanger clips with you as supplementary materials.
- Find a safe space in your house to conduct your cleaning efforts, where you can also leave all your ingredients and materials.
- Turn your air conditioners OFF using the thermostat or by disconnecting it from the main power source.
- Remove your air conditioner’s front panel/protective grilles to access your air filters.
- Detach the air filters from their bearings.
- Close the access panel before going to a safer space to manage your air filters.
- Remove visible strands and other particles with your hands.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the air filter.
- Pour the white vinegar into a spray bottle.
- Mist the layer of baking soda with white vinegar.
- Wait until it stops emulsifying.
- Submerge the air filters in warm water for ten minutes.
- Hang the filters dry by hanging them in breezy areas using hanger clips.
- Return them to your air conditioners.
Cleaner filters mean quieter, more consistent, and more efficient operations. However, that won’t always be the case. Your air filters may be cleaner, but your air conditioners may need more than that.
It may also be time to retire your air conditioners. You may opt for newer innovative systems that boast more efficient features.
Reduce your air conditioner’s carbon footprint by opting for more energy-efficient systems.
Replace Your Old Air Conditioners
Air conditioners have an equipment lifespan of up to fifteen years. Some homeowners try and prolong their air conditioner’s service life by neglecting hazardous tell-tale signs.
It’s best to acknowledge indicators instead of ignoring them and waiting for them to self-correct. AC complications won’t go away independently, developing into worse issues the longer we wait.
All AC issues should be treated urgently. Minor issues won’t stay insignificant for long. Dirty filters may seem minor now, but they impact all internal circulation.
It won’t be long before saturated filters overwhelm your air conditioner with pollutants and allergens. Particle pollution can permanently damage internal components, hindering cooling functions, damaging pipelines, and suffocating ventilation.
Rectifying AC issues can preserve your air conditioners and promote energy efficiency. Reduce your air conditioner’s carbon footprint by observing proper AC maintenance.
Call for professional assistance to alleviate functions of any hindrances and implement AC repairs and replacements as needed.
When Should I Call for Professional Assistance?
Call expert technicians when you notice any unusual activity. You should also reach out to professionals when your air conditioner outlives its expectancy.
Sometimes, air conditioning systems don’t reach their designated lifespan, especially without regular maintenance. Your air conditioner might succumb to wear and tear in half the time you expected it to, becoming inefficient or inoperative altogether.
Hire reputable experts to replace defective air conditioners and install innovative AC units.
Who Are Reputable AC Installers in Mount Vernon, WA?
Please don’t count on DIY AC services to help you now when they are most likely one of the reasons you even need AC replacement. Tinkering around your air conditioner may be ineffective and dangerous.
Stop pinching pennies by opting for unreliable DIY efforts or unreliable professionals. Haphazard efforts can cause extensive damage and injuries, which may cost you more in the end.
Forgo DIY and call CPI!
CPI Plumbing & Heating Specialists in Mount Vernon
We got just the guy if you need reliable AC Repair & Replacement services! CPI is a reputable HVAC contractor in Mount Vernon, WA.
We have skilled technicians who can help you reduce your AC’s carbon footprint or install more efficient systems. CPI provides various AC services in Mount Vernon and surrounding areas.
Our technicians are licensed and insured –performing expert services with utmost professionalism and protection. We will deal with your problems so neither you nor the environment have to suffer from them.
