In the summer, there are lots of ways to stay cool and beat the heat. While many people will choose to lounge by the pool and take a dip or head to a local lake or pond to enjoy the refreshing water, others will simply hide inside and blast the air conditioning until the sun and temperature drop. If you prefer the latter option, then an AC unit breaking down could make your summer miserable. When that happens, contacting an air conditioning repair service right away is an absolute must if you don’t have the time to get to the lake or daily access to a pool.
Perhaps the only downside to using AC, rather than hopping in the water is that air conditioning can be expensive to run. In the Western United States, according to the EIA, nearly three quarters of all homes have central air, and 38% use their AC systems all summer long. Those homeowners can expect to not only have to pay for air conditioning services when problems develop, but also high utility bills. As a result, it can make it tough to keep a home cool even during the hottest times of the year.
While simply choosing to not pay air conditioning services to repair problems or shutting down an AC unit completely might be the most common ways of cutting costs, there are some other alternatives as well. For instance, installing solar panels to run an AC unit without tapping into the electric supply can be smart for homeowners looking to cut monthly costs. Though there might be an initial installation cost, solar panels could potentially pay for themselves over time. Plus, in the United States, there are SRP solar rebates available to help offset the cost as well.
Though Germany is the home to the most solar panels in the entire world, the largest solar power plant is actually found in the Mojave Desert in California. It produces a staggering 90% of the worlds solar power that is produced commercially. Though there is little can be done to avoid the need for central air repair, since breakdowns and failures can happen to even the most dependable AC systems, solar panels can help homeowners save money on staying cool.
As of 2011, there was air conditioning in nearly 100 million American homes, according to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey. While that means that more people than ever before are keeping cool, it also means that air conditioning services and professionals are in high demand. After all, without quick AC unit repairs, the summer months could drag on relentlessly.
