As the warm weather starts to shine through, many homeowners are dreading their upcoming springtime energy bills. While home cooling systems are super convenient for keeping your family safe and comfortable during the scorching summer heat, they can also be costly to run. Fortunately, we’re going to share with you some of our best techniques for cooling your home with energy efficiency in mind.
Smart Thermostat
One of the best things that you can do to optimize the overall efficiency of your home’s cooling system is to install a smart thermostat. Like programmable thermostats, you can create schedules for cooling so that you don’t run your air conditioning system when no one is home. However, you can also adjust temperatures remotely via the internet, and some models even give you recommendations to help lower your energy usage.
Keep the Sunlight Out
When direct sunlight seeps into a room, it can increase that room’s temperature by up to 10 degrees. This causes your air conditioning system to turn on to try and keep your home cool. To avoid this costly battle, you simply need to block out that direct sunlight. You can easily do so with curtains, blinds, or if you want to still see out the window, tint.
Use Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are a great addition to any home cooling system and can make a person feel over 10 degrees cooler than the ambient temperature. Just make sure your fans are spinning in a counterclockwise direction to create that cooling effect.
Cook Outside
It’s important to remember that whenever you cook on the stovetop or use your oven, you’re generating heat within your home. You can work to avoid adding that unnecessary heat to your space by cooking on an outdoor grill, using a microwave, or preparing cold meals for your family.
Seal Up Air Leaks
Air leaks can create a real problem when it comes to your summertime energy bills. They allow warm air to seep in from outside, making your home warmer, which then makes your HVAC system run more to combat that heat. Keeping that hot air out of your home can help reduce the amount of work your system needs to do, making it easier to keep things cool.
Opt for Hanging Clothes to Dry
Just as your stove adds unnecessary heat to the inside of your home, so does running your dryer. You can work to prevent this issue by opting not to use your dryer during the hot summer months. Rather, use a clothesline and hang dry your clothes so that the free sunlight and air can dry them for you. This not only prevents having to run your cooling system more often but also saves you money on your energy bills since you won’t be running your dryer.
Increase Your Insulation
If you live in a relatively older home, it may be lacking the necessary insulation to keep the warm air out. Think of your insulation as a barrier between your nice cool air inside and your warm air outside. The thicker you can make that barrier, the less likely you’ll have to deal with heat coming in.
Keep Up With Filter Changes
One of the most commonly neglected maintenance tasks for homeowners is changing out their HVAC air filters. This air filter is responsible for trapping unwanted indoor pollutants. However, when the filter reaches the end of its lifespan, it’s going to become harder for your air conditioning system to push air through it. You want to check your air filter every three to four weeks and replace it as soon as it’s too dirty to see through.
Keep Your Outdoor Unit Clean
An imperative part of your home cooling system is your outdoor condenser unit. This unit has a series of openings on its housing to allow for optimal dispersion of heat. Whenever loose debris, such as leaves, get pushed up against the unit, it can greatly reduce your cooling system’s efficiency. Do yourself a favor and check your outdoor unit for stuck-on debris at least once a month and after every major storm. Be sure to also keep any shrubbery or low-hanging branches trimmed back.
Upgrade to LED Lights
If you’re still using any old incandescent light bulbs, it’s time to part ways. Incandescent bulbs put off unnecessary heat while they’re running. Upgrading to LED lights will help to eliminate that problem, as they don’t emit any sort of heat while running. Even better, they tend to be a brighter light and come in many different tones.
Expert AC Service
Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC offers expert AC maintenance service for the whole Billings, MT region. We can also assist with all of your heating, fireplace, indoor air quality, and ductless mini-split needs. Simply contact our office today to schedule your next service appointment.
Today!
