You’re never going to run of reasons to love summer: the sun, tan, unlimited outdoor activities — the list goes on. And when you’re at home, you have an air conditioner to take care of your indoor climate. But everybody knows running an AC is quite expensive, and perhaps, you’re looking for ways to minimize your use of it and save some cash in the process.
Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning is your preferred HVAC company in Fridley MN. In this article, we will give you a few tips to consider to effectively cool your home without having to make your AC work too hard.
Check your home’s insulation.
Proper insulation keeps your home from
letting out cooled air and your hard-earned money. Windows, doors, attics, and
other parts of your home are often leaky because of poor insulation.
If your window sill has a crack or
there’s a tiny opening under the door,
conditioned air can easily sneak out of your home. This causes your air
conditioner to work longer and harder to reach your desired temperature.
Ultimately, this causes more wear and tear to your system, and makes your home
warmer than it should be.
In addition, proper insulation is also
crucial when it comes to keeping the hot outdoor air out of your home.
Insulation is your most effective way to protect the home from the heat of
summer and to keep the cool air from escaping through the leaky areas of your
home.
Therefore, you should contact a local
contractor and schedule a home energy audit, which will give you an idea of
your home’s current
insulation quality. Once determined, be sure to seal the leaks, install
weather-stripping, and add more insulation to get the most out of your air
conditioner while lowering your utility costs.
Guard the heat.
Keeping the heat from getting into
your house in the first place means spending less on your AC use. So, shade
windows and walls using external coverings, like blinds, canopies or large
potted greenery. Plant deciduous trees that cast shade over your home in the
summertime, but still let the sun shine through during winter. If your budget
permits, invest in window tinting, which will help keep the warmth in the cold
season, too.
Plan your daily tasks.
Keeping your home comfortable this
summer doesn’t rest solely
on your air conditioner. You can actually start planning your day wisely to
maximize your options. A good idea is to open the windows during early morning
hours and late at night but be prepared to close them and turn your air
conditioner or fan on when the heat becomes too much.
Similarly, you can also perform
household chores like dishwashing or pressing clothes during the cooler parts
of the day. To keep your house cool when you have to cook during the day, you
can opt to use the grill outside or the microwave to minimize the heat
circulating in your home.
Use ceiling fans wisely.
You might feel like ceiling fans just
push the hot air around your home rather than cool it down, and you’re right. Fans that aren’t rotating counter-clockwise may be
doing exactly that. With that in mind, you need to be a little wiser in
operating your ceiling fans. Set them to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to
push air down, which helps create a cooling effect and clockwise in winter to
pull cool air up.
In the warm months, set the fan speed
high and low in the cooler months. Ceiling fans can also be used alongside
other cooling systems, so making sure they rotate in the correct direction can
cause a significant change in the temperature throughout your home.
Questions? Ask Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning
Like many homeowners, we know you want your home to be as energy-efficient as possible. While these three tips will definitely help, they are not substitutes for professional HVAC maintenance. So, talk to one of our St. Louis Park heating and air conditioning experts and find out how you can keep your air conditioner in tip-top shape and save as much energy as you can. For over forty years, we have been the go-to contractor for homeowners looking to have comfortable, energy-saving homes.
