Living in St Petersburg, FL, the air conditioner is an essential component of the household; The cooling system operates just about year round, but i hope to shut off the AC, open the windows in addition to care about some fresh air during the months of December, January in addition to March.
The high heat in addition to excessive humidity create a sizable workload for the air conditioner, and electric bills are a major part of the budget.
I’ve done everything possible to eliminate energy waste. I’ve caulked around windows, weatherstripped doors in addition to invested into blown-in insulation. I’ve installed ceiling fans to help push the heat up in addition to out of the house. I close the blinds against the sunlight during the day, make sure to turn lights off in addition to avoid running the oven. Having a tightly sealed house helps to reduce energy waste however also causes some problems with indoor air quality. The humidity in St Petersburg makes cockroaches, mold, mildew, dust mites in addition to bacteria correct problems. I am diligent in cleaning the air conditioner coils, condensate drain in addition to condensate pan. Those are the areas where toxins tend to thrive. I also make sure to change out the AC air filter every other month. I have looked into all unusual types of air filters. The cheaper air filters with a lower MERV rating don’t capture especially small contaminants. However, they also don’t clog as hastily. The air filters with a higher MERV rating feature much smaller holes that trap microscopic particles, promoting a cleaner in addition to healthier residing environment, however unfortunately, they become dirty very hastily, once the air filter is clogged, it detracts from air conditioner airflow in addition to energy efficiency.