With temperatures reaching nearly triple digits in many parts of the country, air conditioning systems are working extra hard to maintain you cool. While air conditioners provide comfort, they also use a lot of electric power. The Energy Info Administration estimates cooling accounts for about 6 percent of the total energy used in typical American households -- costing consumers about $11 billion a year!
Here are some simple steps you can take to stay cool and save energy on hot summer days:
Become a fan of fans.
For central air conditioning systems, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4 degrees Fahrenheit without sacrificing comfort. In case you have a windows air conditioner unit, try using a fan close by to spread cooler atmosphere to other parts of the room and house.
Maintain your equipment.
When was the last time you swapped out your air conditioner filtration system? Routinely replacing the filtration system could lower your air conditioner's energy consumption 5 to 15 percent. Even with filters, your system’s evaporator coils can sometimes gather dirt. Check and clean these to help improve airflow. Here are more air conditioner maintenance tips.
Set that thermostat.
With regards to home cooling, every degree matters. You could save 10 percent a yr on cooling costs by turning your thermostat up 7 to 10 degrees from its typical cooling setting for just eight hours a time. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temps, the lower your overall cooling expenses will be.
Seal those cracks.
Keeping warm air out is essential to staying cool in summer days. Look for any cracks around the edges of doors and windows and apply caulk or weatherstripping to seal them up.
Block out sunlight.
When you’re outside, color is a welcome rest from the glaring hot summer sun. The same could be said for the within of your residence. Energy efficient draperies like window blinds can block natural light and keep the heating out. Highly reflective window blinds can slash heating gain about 45 percent when totally shut and lowered.
Make Your Windows BETTER
Generally, window glass is quite thin and several builders simply use one pane of glass. While that is barely sufficient, it really is many better and better to have dual and possibly triple pane storm house windows. Although replacing all of the widows in a residence could be expensive and frustrating, these varieties of windows drastically decrease your heating and cooling charges because between each pane of cup can be an insulating barrier of oxygen that keeps the sizzling hot and cold oxygen out of your property and self-regulates the home temperature.
Improve Your Insulation
Since the most your home’s strength goes towards cooling and heating, it appears to be clear that among the things you must do is increase the insulation of your house. You can do that one of two techniques: either use frequent fiberglass batting or the newer spray foam insulation. It is suggested you should call an insulation consultant to get some strategies on what to perform the best insulation update for your home.
Setting The AC Heat range Higher at Night
No matter what the main world your home is in, when it’s nights, the temperature drops. Due to this fact, you don’t want your AC on as low of a heat range as you'll during the day as your home is already cooling. Therefore don’t be wary of raising the heat of your air conditioner as it will lower your overall bill due to less AC use.
Service Your AC Unit Regularly
Basic maintenance is all you really need to keep your air conditioner in tip-best shape. Keeping the area around your air conditioner free from air obstruction is critical. Changing out your filters regularly is one the of most important things a homeowner can do since, when your filters happen to be clogged with dirt or pet hair, your AC unit needs to work harder to great. This can quickly result in expensive repairs.
Check out Energy Saver for even more tips and advice on how to save energy and money all year long. Also, take a trip through time and learn about the history and future of air conditioning technology.