Tips to Beat the Summer Heat

Keeping cool while not over-working your air conditioning system is something homeowners struggle with. It can be hard to figure out how to balance our comfort, a budget and what the unit needs when running our air conditioning units. Here are some ways to lower your bills and save energy while still being comfortable in your home.

Keep your A/C in the shade: Placing the unit in a shaded area will allow for the air conditioner to pick up cooler air making the unit work less in the long run. If there is no shade around where the unit can be placed, we recommend planting trees.

Use a fan: Ceiling fans and floor fans are a great way for air to cycle around the room without having to run your unit or if you don’t have one at all. Although fans do not make the air cooler, the air blowing creates the feel of a cooler temperature. Putting a fan pointing up the stairs in your basement can help to circle the cooler air upstairs.

Reduce use appliances: The use of your appliances; ovens, washers or dyers create excess heat being put off into the home. Cooking outside on a grill is a great way to reduce the heat inside instead of using your oven or stove. Use a fan to extract the hot air from the laundry room or open a door leading to the outside to let the heat from the appliance escape. Running your appliances when temperatures are cooler is another great way to keep the house from getting too hot.

Use blinds and windows: If a side of the house with windows is faces the sun through out the day, install blinds or shades to keep from warming the house. Blinds wills block the suns heat from coming inside. Keep your windows and blinds closed through out the day but at night, open your window to create a natural air flow.

Keep vents clear and clean: Keep the vents clear where the air needs to flow is important in the effectiveness of your system. It is common we put furniture or rugs on our vents not allowing the air to properly flow through out the house. Same goes with cleaning the vents. If they are dusty or being blocked the air will have to work harder to get through the home and the system won’t function to the full effect.

During the hot summer month, the air conditioner works harder keeping the house cool. By following the tips above, you can help reduce the amount of extra work your unit has to do and keep the unit running longer and more efficiently.