It’s important to stay comfortable in the summer. It may even be critical to your well-being to avoid extreme temperatures and keep your home cool enough! But the cost of all that energy can be shocking. Cooling and heating homes is the #1 consumer of energy in American households, and that energy can be expensive. What can you do about it?
Since being uncomfortable or unsafe in sweltering temperatures simply isn’t a reasonable option, you’ve got to find other ways to cut your electric bill without cutting your comfort. We’ve got some great tips for how to boost your AC efficiency this summer, keeping just as cool while using less energy and lowering your utility bills.
1: Use Your Ceiling Fans
Your body cools itself by giving away a tiny bit of heat to every molecule of air that brushes up against your skin. This means that the more molecules that brush against you, the easier it is for your body to keep cool. Moving air feels cooler than still air at the same temperature. The proper direction for ceiling fans in summer is counter-clockwise. With air moving, you’ll be able to raise your thermostat a few degrees.
2: Maintenance and Repair
An air conditioner that receives regular maintenance will stay very efficient. An air conditioner that doesn’t receive maintenance will drop in efficiency by about 5% every year. And since many AC problems cause the system to use a lot more than the usual amount of electricity, if you notice anything going wrong with your air conditioner, get home AC repair in Lansing, MI right away.
3: Control Humidity
The mechanism for passing heat to air molecules is via perspiration. The air absorbs a bit of moisture and takes the heat with it. But if the air is already heavy with too much moisture, it can’t do that nearly as well. Dry air will feel cooler than humid air at the same temperature. Use a dehumidifier to keep humidity down, and again, you can raise your thermostat a few degrees.
4: Block Out Sunlight
The greenhouse effect is amazing if you’re trying to grow late-fall or early-spring vegetables. It’s not so delightful when it’s bringing your sunny living room up to a tropical temperature. Block out the sun when it’s directly hitting windows. Insulated curtains are great, but any type of curtain or blind that blocks the light will help.
5: Keep Cool Air In
Just as it’s important to keep your heat in during the winter, it’s worth taking steps to keep the cool air in during the summer. Close up gaps and drafts around windows with rope caulk or foam strips. Eliminate under-door spaces with weather stripping or use door snakes. When the cool air stays where you need it, the AC won’t have to work so hard making more and more of it.
6: Program Your Thermostat
If you’re away from home for several hours every day, you can raise your thermostat by as much as ten degrees and still be able to cool your home quickly when you get back. Even better, if you can program your thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature, you can have it set to start cooling your home shortly before you arrive. This can save a huge amount of energy.
Contact A-1 Mechanical Heating & Cooling for AC repair in Lansing, MI. Comfort and Character You Can Depend On.