Air Conditioners and Swamp Coolers

Since it's summer, one of the topics I've been writing on is air conditioners. If you've got one, it's time to tune it up. If it's too far gone, it's a great time to install a new one. The SEER ratings are high, Energy Star abounds, and if you live in the U.S., you've probably got a tax rebate.

Another thing to do in the spring or early summer is tune up the thermostat. Hardly anyone does this.

The thing about A/C units is that there's many options. Do you want to cool just the living room during the day but the bedroom at night? Get a portable air conditioner. How about cooling just one room all the time? Consider a window-mounted unit.

During my research, I delved into the world of swamp coolers, or evaporative coolers, as they're also called. I've never lived in the desert so I didn't have first hand knowledge of them. But I was surprised to learn how closely they resemble the cooling towers that I've worked with.

A swamp cooler is very simple compared to a central air conditioner. A central unit has a condenser unit, evaporator coils, and a closed system with refrigerant and oil. A swamp cooler is just a box with water soaked blanket pads hanging inside.

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Implementing Energy Saving Strategies

The price of crude oil is up again today and most market analysts don't expect any relief soon. This will have a ripple effect across the whole energy sector, affecting natural gas and coal, for example. Our utility bills will be one victim of this trend. You can begin to take steps now to ease the pain.

Cutting your electricity use is especially important now, with more air conditioners being turned on. The first thing to do is to get started on the annual air conditioner tune-up.

To prioritize your energy-saving projects, you need to know where you stand. You can have a professional energy audit done, or simply follow your own energy efficiency checklist. Once you know where you stand, consider necessity and your budget.

If any of your improvements involve the attic, get after it before we get any further into the summer. I know; I made the blunder of spraying radiant barrier paint in warm weather.

Seriously consider installing ceiling fans in any room in which you spend any time. They'll pay for themselves and add serious equity to your abode. ROI for you financial types out there. Payback for the rest of us Joe Schmo's.

Here's a tip: if your refrigerator is an older model, this is the time to replace it. Refrigerators are huge power gobblers, especially if you have kids that have a hard time with the phrase, "No grazing, you're not a cow!" With the tax rebates being distributed, retailers are making some very sweet deals.

Check with your electrical provider; the price per KWh is not the same all day and night. There are things you can schedule, like running the clothes dryer, on off-peak hours. Now get out there and save, save, save!