"If your furnace is equipped with a standing pilot light rather than a more modern electronic ignition system, you will save energy and money by extinguishing it in the summer," said Richard B. Hayter, director of Engineering Extension programs at Kansas State University.
Although the amount of natural gas consumed by a pilot light varies, it burns approximately 700 cubic feet per month. At $5 per thousand cubic feet of gas (MCF), this costs about $3.50 per month.
Because the pilot light is not needed in the summer, it wastes energy. The pilot also adds a small amount of heat to the house, which contributes to the air conditioning load. If you air condition your house, the savings in cooling costs can be as much as $5 per month, in addition to the gas savings.
"While turning out the pilot will save energy, it may not be cost-effective if you have to hire someone to light it again in the fall," Hayter said.
To extinguish the pilot light, turn off the valve to the pilot and the main gas valve to the furnace. Extinguishing a pilot light during the summer does not reduce the life of the furnace.
"Remember, summer is also an excellent time to have your furnace serviced to assure safe and efficient performance in the winter," Hayter said.
Can I plant bushes to hide the outside of my air conditioner?
"When landscaping around an outside condensing unit, remember that your air conditioner must reject all the heat from your home," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in small business energy at Kansas State University.
Although you can plant bushes near your condenser, you must leave room for adequate air circulation. Without good air circulation, the temperature near the condensing unit will rise. The higher temperature will reduce the capacity of the air conditioner, causing it to work harder and provide less cooling. You may also kill the shrubbery.
"If the shrubs will not form a continuous wall around the unit, you can plant them so that when they mature there will be three feet of clearance," Meyer said.
If the shrubs will be continuous, then you should allow five feet of clearance, he said.
April 14, 1996
Are there any special precautions I should take before operating my air conditioner for the first time during the year?
"We encourage everyone to have their air conditioner checked by a service person at the beginning of each cooling season," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.
In addition, you should carry out standard maintenance activities each spring.
"It's important to turn the power on to your air conditioner at least 24 hours before you plan to operate it," Meyer said.
This ensures the small heater located in the compressor is functioning properly. This heater boils the refrigerant from the lubricating oil at the bottom of the crank case. If the air conditioner power has been off for some time, the oil becomes saturated with refrigerant and loses its lubricating capabilities.
"Starting the compressor with saturated oil may cause premature bearing failure," Meyer said.
Liquid refrigerant also might enter the compressor if this heater is not energized in advance, causing severe damage to the compressor, he said.
What plants do you recommend for shading west windows during the afternoon?
"Plants are useful because they can provide shade during the time of day and year when overhangs are losing their effectiveness," said Bruce Snead, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.
Some that have been suggested include Virginia creeper, a number of ivies, and euonymus. But your county extension horticulturist or a local nursery will know exactly which plants do best in your area.
Fruit trees also can be trained to grow along a trellis, Snead said.
He recommends a trellis of wood framing and weather-resistant cord or wire. The wood should be cedar or redwood, or pine that has been thoroughly sealed and painted. The trellis can be fan-shaped or rectangular.
"Avoid using black wire for the cross supports because this can acquire so much heat from the sun that it can burn young vines," Snead said.
"Also, keep the trellis about one foot from the wall being shaded, or heat reflected from the house may injure the plants," he said.
April 21, 1996
I'm thinking of adding central air conditioning to my home. The estimates I've received for the air conditioner size I will need vary significantly. How can I tell what size will do the job, but not be too big?
"Determining the proper size for a residential air conditioning system calls for a cooling load analysis," said Doug Walter, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University. "This procedure takes into account the size of the home, insulation levels, roof color, orientation of windows, shading of windows, tightness of construction, and number of occupants."
In years past when houses had little or no insulation and allowed a lot of air leakage, the air conditioner size often was based on just the floor area of the home. A ratio of one ton (12,000 Btu per hour) per 400 square feet of floor was typically used to determine air conditioner capacity.
Although this sometimes resulted in oversized equipment, energy was not a real concern because it was cheaper then.
"Today it is recognized that accurately sized or even slightly undersized air conditioning equipment will result in greater operating economy and improved comfort because the air conditioner cycles on and off less often," Walter said. "This reduces wear and tear on the compressor, increases efficiency, and improves humidity control."
On extremely hot days, usually less than three percent of a normal cooling season, however, your indoor temperature may rise or "swing" upward four to six degrees F during the hottest part of the day.
This is a small price to pay for improved performance and comfort during the balance of the cooling season, according to Walter.
Furthermore, comfort can be easily maintained during a designed temperature swing by using a fan to create air movement and delaying activities such as cooking that produce internal heat gain until the air conditioner has recovered.
A cooling load analysis of your home can be performed by most heating and air conditioning contractors or by an independent energy auditor.
Should I remove my storm windows if I plan to air condition my house?
"If you have permanent storm windows, you can open them in the spring to enjoy the weather, but be sure to close them when you begin to air condition," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in small business energy at Kansas State University.
If your storms are removable, or if you use plastic over the windows, leave some in place and rely on fewer windows for ventilation. When it's time to air condition, however, you should put the storms or plastic back in place.
"If you don't air condition the whole house, then remove the storms in the areas you don't cool so that you can take advantage of the summer breeze," Meyer said.
April 28, 1996
What should I do to get my central air conditioner ready for summer?
"There are several routine maintenance chores that homeowners can do," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in small business energy at Kansas State University. "But first, shut off the power to your air conditioner by pulling the fuses or tripping the breaker."
Then, you can take the following steps.
Remove leaves, grass, and other debris that may have collected in the condenser coil outside.
Inspect the refrigerant lines feeding into the condensing unit for oil leaks. Check around the coils, too. Oil may indicate a minor refrigerant leak.
Using a mild detergent, gently wash the coils and allow the detergent to work for a while. The coils then should be flushed with a gentle stream of water. A more effective cleaning job involves using special solvents, but this is best left to a service technician.
"The fan motor in the condensing unit may need to be oiled with a good, lightweight oil at the beginning of the cooling season. Those with a sealed bearing cannot be oiled," Meyer said. You may need to disassemble the shrouding on your air conditioner to reach the oil ports on the motor.
Look at the wiring in the outside condensing unit. If the wiring appears to be cracked or frayed, call a service technician.
"On the inside unit, change filters and oil the blower motor on the air handler of your air conditioner," Meyer said.
After the coils have dried, reset the breaker or inset the fuses for the circuits supplying power to the air conditioner. Leave the power on to allow the crankcase heaters to separate the oil and refrigerant in the crankcase.
"After 24 hours, you can start the unit and check to see if it is cooling properly," Meyer said.
You can check several things yourself to determine if your system is working properly. The first is to look at the large refrigerant line (suction line) coming from the coil located above your furnace.
"Frost on this line indicates that the unit may be low on charge," Meyer said. "Other reasons frost may form on this line include a partially blocked filter drier or the air flow past the cooling coil is restricted, possibly because of dirty filters."
You also can check the temperature of the return air and the supply air. Most residential air conditioners are designed to cool the air approximately 20 degrees as it goes through the unit.
"If the temperature difference between the return air and the supply air is less than about 15 degrees, have a service technician check the refrigerant levels in your unit," Meyer said.