Two Things (Other Than Energy) Your HVAC System Can Help You Save
You've heard it before—a new HVAC system could save you hundreds of dollars each month. While that's true, replacing, repairing, or servicing your HVAC system could help you save on two other things.
Curious? Read on to find out what they are.
Water
Air conditioners work by pulling the warm air from your home, running it over coolant, and pumping the cold air back in. During the process, the units produce a lot of water from condensation—up to 5 gallons or more.
According to the EPA, the average American household uses about 320 gallons of water per day, which means that 5 gallons you could save from air conditioner amount to about 1.5 percent of daily use. But if you add a dehumidifier to your HVAC system, you could save even more.
Before you can get started on conserving water, you'll need to make sure your HVAC system is connected to a closed-off storage container or looped back into your irrigation system or water pipes. You can choose to have the water pumped into a reservoir, but the standing water will attract mosquitoes and eggs, which come with extra concerns.
Medical Costs
Pollen, mold, dirt, and other pollutants and irritants can all get sucked up into your HVAC system, and, without proper filtering, they can get blown back into your home. Worse, the mold can grow in less ventilated areas, exacerbating the problem.
Those pollutants and irritants can increase illness, especially in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Most of the problems could be resolved by simply swapping out the filters and cleaning the ducts, but an HVAC system in good repair can also help people regulate body temperature, which can also help with health.
That's because people sleep better when the temperature is cool, and poor sleep has been linked to problems stemming from anxiety, depression, stress, and weakened immune systems.
The mold, pollen, and humidity can also cause breathing problems for people, especially kids, who have asthma. The heavy moisture mixed with the pollen mold can settle into the air tracts of the lungs and throat, making breathing more difficult.
If you think repairing your air conditioner or HVAC system is a heavy burden compared to the cost of asthma medication, consider the fact that from 2002 to 2007, the average cost of asthma care per person in the U.S. was $3,300 each year.
You could easily spend that on an HVAC system and reap the other benefits, too. Contact a company like Elite Heating, Cooling and Plumbing for more information.
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