Ten Uncommon Pointers for Keeping Your Home Cool During The Summer Months

Posted by Brevard on March 31st, 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. Residence with properly-sized air conditioning unit are sized for a temperature of 92 ° F and probably didn't stay so cool. I'm sure many homes with a/c that appear to be considerably oversized didn't stay cool enough either.

Every summer season you can find lots and lots of suggestions on how to save energy and keep one's cool at home: Wear cooler clothes, use your ceiling fans, keep the sun out, go to a film, get your ac system serviced, caulk your windows, and so on. I will mention a few common pointers in this short article, but I'm likewise going to discuss some that you might never ever have actually seen in an article like this before.

Prior to we enter into the actual pointers, however, it may be handy to bear in mind how the entire cooling thing works. Previously this year, I heard a terrific expression on the radio: Your ac system is the faucet; the building envelope of your house is the cup. If you have a dripping cup, your a/c needs to work more difficult. If your A/C is currently doing all it can, you may need to have a look at your structure envelope. Also, to go back to the metaphor, a leakage in your pipes might make it impossible to fill the cup, even it's not dripping much.

Here are 3 questions to ask as you attempt to keep cool with an ac system that struggles on those really hot days:

- What can I do to minimize the quantity of heat getting in?

- What can I do to make my air conditioning unit more effective?

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

Let's dive into the ideas now. I'm focusing here on existing homes. Whether it's a brand name brand-new home you simply moved into or a hundred years 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 the home, it generally brings a great deal of heat, too, unless you have actually good windows (with low solar heat gain coefficients). Solar screens on the exterior of the window are terrific for keeping heat out. You may likewise consider some short-term shading for the east- and west-facing windows on those super hot days.

2. Seal the unusual air leaks. The majority of the standard energy-saving suggestions 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 space vents that open into conditioned area or a hole in the kitchen ceiling that acts as a refrigerator vent. Look around in your attic, crawl space, or basement, and you'll discover the worst offenders.

3. Reduce the surface area temperature levels. Some parts of your home might be hotter than others. For example, you may have a bonus space that's hardly ever comfy. Attic kneewalls with inefficient insulation are often the perpetrator there. Get the insulation in the cavities and put sheathing on the attic side of the kneewalls.

Tips for helping your ac system

4. Modification your filter. The majority of people let them get too filthy, and this is one of the most common factors for bad performance in air conditioners. A filthy filter includes resistance and decreases air circulation. Go ahead and inspect it now. I'll wait till you get back.

5. Improve air circulation. In addition to the air filter, your Air Conditioner might have other kinds of air circulation issues. If the evaporator coil is filthy, inadequate air relocations throughout it and your house does not cool down along with it should. If the condenser coil is unclean, it won't discard adequate heat to the exterior. If your heating and cooling edmonton condenser coil is crowded with plants or other challenges, clear it out. You can trim the bushes yourself, however you need to probably call a professional to clean the coils.

6. Search for detached ducts. If your ducts are beyond the conditioned space in your home, 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 shown listed below) can have an instant impact on your comfort. This issue is more common than you may think.

Other suggestions for keeping one's cool

7. Usage fans. OK, I know this one's not unusual, but if your a/c unit 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 simply what you need to stay comfortable. Keep in mind, however, 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 new ceiling fan? They now come with energy performance labels demonstrating how energy efficient they are.

8. Utilize a window air conditioner. If you've done whatever above and your home is still annoyingly hot, setting up a window unit AC could provide you simply enough additional cooling to assist you make it through the heat wave. I know. I know. They're unsightly and noisy and might protest the rules where you live. They utilize more power, which contributes to the stress on the electricity grid, and may contribute more to international warming. Still, if you've got an energy efficient house with a right-sized a/c, this might be the best method to handle those heat waves when temperatures work out above what your main air conditioner was created for. It's a far better option than setting up a large system simply so you have enough capability to deal with the severe heat events. A more expensive and irreversible alternative to the window unit would be a ductless mini-split heatpump.

9. Get a house energy evaluation. Trained home energy auditors can find the issues I listed above and more and advise options. They likewise have equipment to determine how leaking your ducts are, for example, along with the surface area temperature levels of your floorings, walls, and ceilings.

10. Turn off your power attic ventilators. If you have power attic ventilators in the attic, have them disconnected so they don't run. They might well be robbing cool air from your home.

If your a/c unit repair work business recommends replacing your system with a larger one to handle heat waves, beware. Ac system don't dehumidify well if they do not have long term times, and bear in mind that heat waves don't last permanently and we do not have bad ones every year. If your Air Conditioner can't maintain when it's hotter than typical outdoors, utilize the recommendations above to make it through. Your house will be more comfortable and effective for it even when the temperature levels go back to normal.