Prepare your home for summer and for a lower energy bill by completing 2 or 3 of these tips. Even better, follow all 8 tips for the most efficiency!

As you may know, your HVAC system is the number one consumer of energy in your home and accounts for up to 58% of your energy bill! Anything you can do to make your air conditioner more efficient, especially in San Antonio, is beneficial to your energy bill and the overall life of your system.

Change the air filter. Once you change it, set an alert on your phone or computer calendar to remind you to change them out every month during the summer. It may seem like a lot of upkeep but it will help extend the life of your HVAC system. Stock up on air filters at the beginning of the summer and store them away for easy access. This way you won’t forget to change it for another month and you’ll save a trip to the store! It will make the process much easier on you.

Test the system. If you haven’t already, turn the AC on and turn down the temperature to force the system to turn on. When you hear the system starting to blow air, be sure to place your hand in front of a vent to make sure the air coming through is considerably cool. If any problems arise such as the system not turning on, or warm air coming through the vents, be sure to call an air conditioning repair company to remedy the system right away. The earlier in the season that you can get the repair done, the less likely you will have to pay more during a peak-of-the-season emergency.

Check the ducts. You may have a faulty duct system if you experience uneven cooling or sky high energy bills. For some insight on how much you should be spending in relation to your energy consumption, use this Power Usage Calculator. Still not sure if your ducts are working efficiently? Many air conditioning contractors can perform a duct test to find where faulty areas are. If you use a contractor to do a duct test and you have it repaired by a registered contractor, CPS Energy will actually pay 50% of the cost of testing the duct system. There are also Air Flow Performance Rebates up to $2,500 for duct repairs and replacement. If you’re more of the do-it-yourself type, check out Energy Star’s: Guide to Sealing and Insulating.

Maintain the outdoor unit. A simple task you can complete on your outdoor unit is to clear any debris immediately around it. Anything that would affect the unit from pulling air into it should be removed. As long as there is a couple feet of clearance around the entire unit, it will continue to perform efficiently. To complete a thorough cleaning and checkup on your unit, call Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating to perform a cleaning and inspection. Make sure this is done every year to get the most out of your air conditioner and keep it running efficiently.

Other Energy Improvement Updates…

Install a programmable thermostat. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, installing one is simple and can save you loads on your energy bill. The benefit to having a programmable thermostat is being able to schedule it to an energy-saving temperature while you aren’t home. For example, when the family leaves for work/school, you can program your thermostat to 78 or 80 degrees. This temperature may be a little warm when everyone is home, but is a great temperature to keep an empty home. Setting it any higher, or completely turning the AC off isn’t always beneficial since it needs to work that much harder to cool the home to a comfortable temperature again. CPS Energy has a residential program that includes a free digital thermostat if you don’t want to pay for one and you don’t mind waiting a bit.

Install attic insulation and an attic fan. Another great energy saver is attic insulation. Attic insulation keeps the hot air in your attic and not in the living spaces of your home. Install an attic fan for a inexpensive way to keep your attic even cooler and therefore keeping your home cooler.

Seal up an air leaks to the outside. Close any air leaks by windows or doors with caulk or a weather-stripping material. The more airtight your home is, the less your air conditioner needs to work!

Add a UV film to your windows. UV film is a thin plastic that sticks to your windows and can block almost all UV rays as well as a high percentage of solar heat. Not only does this film keep your home cooler when the sun is blazing, but it also protects your furniture, carpets, and wood flooring from UV damage.

It’s a thermostat that improves with time and is connected to the internet. It adjusts over time to your weekly routine and in the end saves on energy bills. Check out the video!

Find more information at: http://www.nest.com/

Click here to view the embedded video.

When it comes to allergies the best thing to do is to avoid the allergens as much as possible. Allergens include pollen from certain plants, dust, dander, and even mold. All of these allergens hang in the air and are inhaled into our respiratory system. Now that spring is approaching, these allergens will be in full effect. Avoiding the outdoors when pollen counts are highest, such as between 5am and 10am, will keep your allergies at bay. Some days are worse then others so you may also visit http://www.aaaai.org/global/nab-pollen-counts.aspx and select “Texas – San Antonio” to see the latest pollen count in San Antonio.

Try to stay indoors and keep all of the windows closed. With the air conditioner running, it will stay cool and comfortable, while filtering any air that is going into your home. Because air conditioning filters the air before it is circulated throughout your home, it catches bothersome allergens. You may also set your air conditioning system to recirculate the air to limit the amount of air that is coming from outside. Keeping the AC on, even in your car, will reduce your exposure to these allergens.

Remember that when you go outside, allergens attach themselves to your hair, clothing, and even skin. It helps to take a shower to rid your body of the allergens before you hop in bed. Night after night of going to bed with these allergens can build up on your bedsheets. Another tip, wash your bedding in hot water at least once a week. If you have a family pet, don’t allow them lay on your bed or furniture. When they go outside, pollen can cling to their coat and can be brought into the house.

Hopefully these tips will help you to avoid seasonal allergens. At Cowboys, we perform a 19-point AC Tuneup and Air Quality Check. When we are done, your air conditioner will be dust free and your filter will be treated with an anti-microbial spray to discourage bacteria and mold. All of this is done to help you and your family breathe easy and to keep your air conditioner in prime condition.

Read more about the 19-Point Cowboys AC Tuneup & Air Quality Check

Congratulations to Gabriela, the winner of our monthly giveaway! Gabriela has won a free carbon monoxide detector and installation. She’ll be keeping her family safe this winter!

Now is the time of year to be aware of carbon monoxide leaks as we are running our heaters.

Enter our Facebook giveaway once and be eligible to win for every giveaway we have! Visit our Facebook page to enter: http://www.facebook.com/cowboysac

Congrats again, Gabriela!

Every month we give away a prize to one lucky Facebook Fan. For the month of December our lucky winner was Deyanna Mondy! Deyanna received a free carbon monoxide detector and installation from Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating!

Congratulations Deyanna!

Did you know that signing up once on our Facebook Page makes you eligible to win any of our contests? So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

Eliminating drafts in your home can help trap the heat in during the winter and keep the warm air out in the summer. The first step to properly seal your home is to properly identify any drafts. You can have a home energy assessment done to see where you are losing energy or you can conduct your own test by checking key areas.

Caulking and weatherstripping can help create a tighter seal around these small cracks, holes and leaks. There is a large variety of caulk and certain kinds are better then others. This chart will help you choose what type of caulking you will need and the best way to apply it. The same information is available to help you choose and install weatherstripping.

EnergySavers.org has a lot of great information for making sure you have an energy efficient home!

Our giveaway this month features another Carbon Monoxide Detector and Installation!

To enter, just visit our Facebook Page.

GOOD LUCK!

Congratulations to Mike Brown, the winner of our monthly giveaway! Mike has won a free carbon monoxide detector and installation.

Now is the time of year to be aware of carbon monoxide leaks as we are running our heaters.

Enter our giveaway once and be eligible for every giveaway we have! Enter here: http://www.facebook.com/cowboysac?sk=app_204931152908456

Congrats again, Mike!

Are you prepared for the upcoming cold spells? The last thing you need to wake up to is a frozen pipe, or worse yet, a pipe that has burst. San Antonio nights are starting to get below the freezing point so make sure your home is prepared for the cold weather!

1. Go to your local home improvement store and buy pipe insulation sleeves or wraps. Spend a little more money on the thicker insulation for extra protection. Wrap any pipes that are exposed to the outside air and wind. You may even need to replace some old wrapping that just aren’t doing the job anymore.

2. Caulk any holes or cracks that are near exposed pipes. It’s usually when it’s very cold and windy that these pipes are affected. So caulking will act as another barrier to protect them from the chilly winds.

3. Leave the cabinet doors under your sink open to allow warm air to circulate.

4. Before you go to bed, keep the faucet open by letting the water drip very slowly. This will relieve any pressure that is building up in the pipes in case there is a freeze.

If you ever experience a frozen pipe and can not retrieve water from your faucets, you have to locate the frozen pipe or pipes. Pipes that freeze in a San Antonio home are typically in the attic, garage, or even under a sink. Check these places first and look for an area that has an air draft from outside. Feel the temperature of the pipe with your hand to have a good idea of where the ice is forming. You can then use a hair dryer to slowly melt the ice build up. Never use a blow torch or flame to melt the ice in the pipe. This is an extreme fire hazard. Before de-thawing make sure to open up a faucet that the pipe runs to so any pressure may be released.

For more information on how to weather proof your home visit: http://www.weather.com/activities/homeandgarden/home/hometips/severeweather/pipefreeze_prevent.html