Ten Uncommon Tips for Keeping Cool with a Wrong Sized Air Conditioner

Posted by Susana on April 9th, 2021

We went through a record-setting heat wave just recently in the US. Here in Atlanta, we set an all-time record of 106 F. House with properly-sized air conditioning unit are sized for a temperature of 92 ° F and most likely didn't stay so cool. I'm sure many homes with air conditioning unit that appear to be significantly oversized didn't remain cool enough either.

Every summertime you can discover lots and great deals of tips on how to conserve energy and keep cool at home: Use cooler clothing, use your ceiling fans, keep the sun out, go to a film, get your a/c serviced, caulk your windows, etc. I will mention a couple of common pointers in this article, however I'm also going to discuss some that you may never ever have actually seen in a post like this prior to.

Prior to we enter into the real suggestions, though, it may be valuable to keep in mind how the entire cooling thing works. Earlier this year, I heard a terrific expression on the radio: Your air conditioning unit is the faucet; the building envelope of your house is the cup. If you have a dripping cup, your a/c unit needs to work harder. If your AC is currently doing all it can, you might require to have a look at your building envelope. Likewise, to return to the metaphor, a leakage in your water pipe might make it difficult to fill up the cup, even it's not dripping much.

Here are three concerns to ask as you attempt to keep cool with an ac system that struggles on those truly hot days:

- What can I do to reduce the amount of heat getting in?

- What can I do to make my a/c more efficient?

- What else can I do to keep one's cool?

Let's dive into the tips now. I'm focusing here on existing houses. Whether it's a brand new home you simply moved into or a a century old, the home is already there, so some style alternatives are off the table.

Tips for keeping heat out

1. Keep the sun out. Windows can be the biggest contributors to your heat gain. When the sun shines straight into your home, it normally brings a lot of heat, too, unless you have truly excellent windows (with low solar heat gain coefficients). Solar screens on the exterior of the window are fantastic for keeping heat out. You might also think about some temporary shading for the east- and west-facing windows on those extremely hot days.

2. Seal the weird air leaks. The majority of the basic energy-saving guidance tells you to caulk your windows and weatherstrip your doors. The issue with that is you're neglecting a few of the much larger leaks, like, say, crawl area vents that open into conditioned space or a hole in the kitchen area ceiling that functions as a fridge vent. Look around in your attic, crawl space, or basement, and you'll discover the worst culprits.

3. Reduce the surface temperatures. Some parts of your home might be hotter than others. For instance, you might have a perk space that's rarely comfortable. Attic kneewalls with inadequate insulation are typically the perpetrator there. Get the insulation in the cavities and put sheathing on the attic side of the kneewalls.

Tips for assisting your air conditioner

4. Modification your filter. The majority of people central air toronto let them get too dirty, and this is among the most typical reasons for poor performance in a/c unit. An unclean filter includes resistance and minimizes air flow. Proceed and check it now. I'll wait till you get back.

5. Improve air flow. In addition to the air filter, your A/C might have other kinds of air circulation problems. If the evaporator coil is dirty, inadequate air moves across it and your home doesn't cool down in addition to it should. If the condenser coil is dirty, it won't discard adequate heat to the outside. If your condenser coil is crowded with vegetation or other challenges, clear it out. You can cut the bushes yourself, however you must probably call a professional to clean up the coils.

6. Look for detached ducts. If your ducts are outside of the conditioned area in your house, check to see if anything has come loose. Repairing a supply duct that's sending all its cool air to the attic or crawl area (as revealed listed below) can have an instant effect on your convenience. This problem is more typical than you may believe.

Other pointers for keeping one's cool

7. Use fans. OK, I understand this one's not uncommon, but if your air conditioner is doing all it can but your house still isn't rather cool enough on those really hot days, moving the air over your skin might be just what you need to remain comfy. Keep in mind, though, that fans do not cool the air; they cool you. Shut off ones that remain in empty rooms due to the fact that they're utilizing energy and including more heat to your home. Need to buy a brand-new ceiling fan? They now come with energy effectiveness labels revealing how energy effective they are.

8. Use a window a/c unit. If you have actually done everything above and your house is still uncomfortably hot, setting up a window system Air Conditioner could provide you just enough additional cooling to assist you make it through the heat wave. I know. I know. They're ugly and loud and may be against the guidelines where you live. They utilize more power, which includes to the strain on the electrical power grid, and might contribute more to international warming. Still, if you have actually got an energy efficient house with a right-sized ac system, this could be the best way to deal with those heat waves when temperature levels go well above what your central air conditioning conditioner was designed for. It's a better solution than installing a large system so you have sufficient capability to manage the extreme heat occasions. A more costly and permanent option to the window system would be a ductless mini-split heat pump.

9. Get a house energy evaluation. Trained house energy auditors can find the problems I noted above and more and advise solutions. They also have equipment to measure how leaky your ducts are, for instance, along with the surface area temperature levels of your floorings, walls, and ceilings.

10. Shut off your power attic ventilators. If you have power attic ventilators in the attic, have them detached so they do not run. They might well be robbing cool air from your house.

If your a/c repair work company recommends replacing your unit with a bigger one to handle heat waves, be wary. Ac system don't dehumidify well if they don't have long term times, and keep in mind that heat waves do not last permanently and we don't have bad ones every year. If your Air Conditioning can't keep up when it's hotter than typical outdoors, use the guidance above to make it through. Your home will be more comfy and effective for it even when the temperature levels go back to normal.