Home Heating And Cooling Affect More Than Just People

If your heater or air conditioner has been slowly breaking down and working less and less efficiently, you might find that fixing it also fixes a host of other issues that may have affected your household. Heating and cooling aren't just for humans and pets -- the ambient temperature in your home affects how your appliances run as well. By letting your heater or air conditioner become inefficient, you're increasing the conditions in which other appliances struggle. That results in higher utility bills unless you fix the heating or air conditioning.

Fighting the Good Fight

Appliances like your refrigerator and hot water heater have to have some insulation to keep the interior of the fridge cool or the water warm. But if the temperature outside the appliance is hitting less moderate levels, then the ability of the appliances to work well is compromised.

If your air conditioner isn't working and the inside of your home gets hot, the fridge and freezer have to work harder to keep things cool, especially because more hot air can enter the appliance when you open the doors. If the heater isn't working well and the inside of your home gets very cold, your hot water heater will struggle to heat water up as quickly as it can during hot weather. (The water coming into the water heater is also colder, adding to the strain to heat the water up quickly.)

Increasing the Bill

The increased fight against the external temperature -- and it really can be that much of a struggle in some cases -- means the other appliances will be using more energy. That means increased usage and charges on your utility bills. In addition to that, you might be using the appliances for a longer time, such as running shower water for a longer time as you wait for the water to warm up on a cold day. It might not take that much longer, but the extra costs will add up over the months.

Fixing the HVAC System

If you fix the heater or air conditioner, though, you remove that external strain from the appliances. Waiting for cold water to boil on the stove? Now that the temperature in your home is a little warmer in winter, you won't have to wait quite as long. Worried that opening the door to the fridge is going to let hot air in? With a working air conditioner, you won't have to deal with such varied temperatures.

If you think your HVAC system really is starting to have issues, call an HVAC or heating and cooling repair company, such as Thermotech Inc. A few degrees can really make a difference regarding your comfort and utility bills.