Here's the story I ran yesterday on Montana East News on money saving tips from MDU:
Montana East News received several calls yesterday about short power outages in the Glendive area. Mark Hansen, spokesperson for MDU told us that those outages were very short term and part of routine maintenance.
However, as the weather is heated up Hanson did offer some ways to save on power use in the summer as well as your summer power bill.
First, he offered a few cooling tips for the summer which included:
-Keep window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.
Do not place lamps or televisions near the thermostat. It senses heat from these items, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
-Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units, but do not block air flow.
Place room air conditioners on the north side of the house. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10 percent less electricity than the same unit operating in the sun.
-If your air conditioning unit is old, consider purchasing a new, energy-efficient model, which could save you up to 50 percent on your utility bill for cooling. The higher the seasonal energy efficiency ratio on the unit the greater the level of efficiency.
Hanson also offered a few maintenance tips to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. He recommended keeping your cooling and heating system at peak performance by having a contractor do annual check-ups - start scheduleing now for the fall. Contractors get busy once summer and winter come, so it's best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall.
A typical maintenance check-up should include the following:
-Check thermostat settings to ensure the cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.
-Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
Lubricate all moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity you use.
-Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels.
-Check controls of the system to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.
-Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
-Check your central air conditioner's refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. Too much or too little refrigerant will make your system less efficient increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
-Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent.
One more thing that Hanson mentioned -
-Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.
Clean up your filter while cleaning up your bill.