Getting the Most Out of Your Air Conditioner This Summer
While air conditioners definitely have become the mainstream way of living during the warmer months (more people even live in hotter climates simply because air conditioning units have been more and more popular), and other homes are using centralized air conditioning over cross-ventilation (venting from each room to room).
The only downside is that using an air conditioner uses a lot of electricity, especially higher less energy efficient units and window units. In this guide though, we’ll help you by giving you some tips for getting the most out of your air conditioner.
Seal Your Home
Just like the same principle that sealing and properly insulating your home can help heat stay in in the wintertime, it can also help your home stay cooler in the summer. Make sure you patch any leaks, look for any areas where hot air is coming into your home (like you would do in winter). Make sure things like your weather stripping on your doors are in good shape, as well as that you have no hot air coming in through walls, floors, ceilings, or windows.
Shade Your Windows
You can actually get window tinting for your home windows to protect your home from not only UV rays, but also to help get rid of the heat. At the same time, using blackout shades, blinds, and curtains can greatly help keep the sunlight and heat out as well, decreasing the “greenhouse effect” from happening.
Energy Efficient Lighting is Key
Many people still have the older light bulbs, but not only do these use more electricity, but they also end up expelling more heat. Switch to an energy efficient light bulb or an LED light bulb which doesn’t emit hardly any heat at all.
Lifestyle Changes: In or Out!
When the heat is at its worst, try to avoid constant opening and shutting of the door. You remember the popular phrase by your parents, right? “You’re not cooling the outside!” That was an important lesson to each you about this. Another big lifestyle change is learning to have alternative cooking methods. If it’s 90 degrees outside, and you end up cooking in your 70-degree home, you can expect your house to get to near the same temperature as it is outside (minus the breeze).
The worst part about this is that not only does your A/C unit have to work harder to cool the house down, but it also takes more time for your air conditioner to cool your house back down to your temperature setting.
Conclusion: Other Tips
Plenty of other tips need to be followed too. Keep your air vents clear so that you’re A/C can cool your home better, make sure there aren’t any air flow issues, and get a smart thermostat that you can program to have set temperature settings at certain times of the night to save more electricity. You also want to choose the right model for your home. While you may think it’s efficient to get an air conditioner for a couple rooms of the house that you frequent, you don’t want to get one for all of the rooms that you’re not going to use.
Citations:
Orange County Air Conditioning
About Christian Reynolds
Christian is the chief reporter, editor, and webmaster at Cleveland Leader. An aspiring news anchor, his hobbies outside of investigative reporting are golf, martinis, and adventure travel. If you have a scoop on any developing story, please contact him on this page.
