Summer is here and so are the extremely hot temperatures. Many of us crank the A/C to try and cool our houses down….resulting in an insane air conditioning bill at the end of the month. Do you want to ensure a cool and comfortable living environment, but without draining your wallet?? Then no more cranking the A/C, time to cool it! We have good news for you: with some proper care and maintenance, as well as some basic changes to your living habits, you will be able to increase efficiency AND cut down on energy consumption!
Stay cool this summer by incorporating these cost-effective and energy efficient tips into your lifestyle:
- Keep exterior doors and windows closed while the AC is on, unless you needed to remove excess humidity or strong cooking odors.
- Minimize the use of heat producing appliances (i.e. ovens, dishwashers, washing machines & dryers), especially during the day. These appliances tend to increase the demand of air conditioning.
- Caulk around windows and doors to reduce air and moisture leakage.
- Make sure attic insulation is at the very least, what is locally recommended (or better yet, exceeds what is locally recommended), including the cover over the access opening.
- Close off supply vents in unused rooms and/or the basement. Basements are naturally cooler and also benefits from the natural movement of cooler air to the lower levels. Don’t forget to reopen the registers in the winter for heating needs.
- Have your cooling system professionally checked and serviced periodically to keep it functioning properly and efficiently.
- Change replaceable air filters and clean re-usable filters before starting up the system and continue to clean/replace each month (dirty coils, dirty filters restrict air flow, increasing operating costs and reducing the life and efficiency of the system). At a cost of a few dollars, it may be a good idea to change the filter each month when you pay your utility bill.
- If buying a new unit, make sure the central air conditioning system or window unit is the proper size it is intended to cool. Units that are improperly sized use more energy than necessary.
- You should have two basic set points for your air conditioning: one when the house is occupied, and the other when no one is home. Make sure to set your thermostat to a higher temperature during the day or while no one is at home – only set the thermostat to a lower temperature when the house is occupied. Less heat enters the house when the indoor temperature is closer to outdoor temperature.
How do you keep your house cool in these hot summer months?! Please share your tips and ideas.
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