Ten Unusual Tips for Keeping Cool with a Struggling A/C

Posted by Voltz on April 7th, 2021

We went through a record-setting heat wave recently in the US. Here in Atlanta, we set an all-time record of 106 F. Homes with properly-sized a/c are sized for a temperature of 92 ° F and probably didn't remain so cool. I make certain several houses with ac system that seem substantially extra-large didn't remain cool enough either.

Every summertime you can discover lots and great deals of ideas on how to save energy and keep one's cool in your home: Use cooler clothes, utilize your ceiling fans, keep the sun out, go to a movie, get your a/c serviced, caulk your windows, etc. I will point out a couple of typical ideas in this article, but I'm likewise going to discuss some that you might never have seen in a short article like this before.

Prior to we enter the real ideas, however, it may be helpful to keep in mind how the entire cooling thing works. Earlier this year, I heard a terrific expression on the radio: Your a/c unit is the faucet; the building envelope of your house is the cup. If you have a dripping cup, your air conditioning unit needs to work harder. If your A/C is currently doing all it can, you may require to have a look at your structure envelope. Likewise, to return to the metaphor, a leak in your pipes might make it impossible to fill the cup, even it's not dripping much.

Here are 3 concerns to ask as you attempt to keep one's cool with an a/c that struggles on those truly hot days:

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

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

- What else can I do to keep cool?

Let's dive into the ideas now. I'm focusing here on existing houses. Whether it's a brand name brand-new home you just moved into or a a century old, the home is currently there, so some design choices are off the table.

Tips for keeping heat out

1. Keep the sun out. Windows can be the largest contributors to your heat gain. When the sun shines directly into your home, it usually brings a lot of heat, too, unless you have really great windows (with low solar heat gain coefficients). Solar screens on the outside of the window are fantastic for keeping heat out. You may also consider some temporary shading for the east- and west-facing windows on those incredibly hot days.

2. Seal the unusual air leaks. The majority of the basic energy-saving advice tells you to caulk your windows and weatherstrip your doors. The problem with that is you're neglecting some of the much larger leaks, like, state, crawl area vents that open into conditioned space or a hole in the kitchen ceiling that serves as a refrigerator vent. Take a look around in your attic, crawl space, or basement, and you'll find the worst culprits.

3. Reduce the surface area temperatures. Some parts of your home may be hotter than others. For example, you may have a bonus offer space that's seldom comfortable. 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 a/c unit

4. Modification your filter. The majority of people let them get too dirty, and this is one of the most common reasons for poor efficiency in a/c unit. A dirty filter adds resistance and lowers air circulation. Proceed and check it now. I'll wait till you return.

5. Improve air circulation. In addition to the air filter, your AC may have other kinds of air flow issues. If the evaporator coil is unclean, not adequate air relocations across it and your house does not cool down along with it should. If the condenser coil is filthy, it won't dump sufficient heat to the outside. If your condenser coil is crowded with vegetation or other challenges, clear it out. You can trim the bushes yourself, however you must most likely call a pro to clean the coils.

6. Try to find detached ducts. If your ducts are beyond the conditioned space in your house, check to see if anything has actually come loose. Fixing a supply duct that's sending all its cool air to the attic or crawl space (as shown below) can have an immediate influence on your comfort. This problem is more common than you may think.

Other ideas for keeping cool

7. Use fans. OK, I know this one's not uncommon, however if your air conditioner is doing all it can however your house still isn't quite cool enough on those really hot days, moving the air over your skin may be simply what you need to remain comfy. Remember, however, that fans don't cool the air; they cool you. Switch off ones that are in empty rooms because they're utilizing energy and adding more heat to your house. Required to purchase a brand-new ceiling fan? They now come with energy performance labels demonstrating how energy efficient they 24 hour ac repair toronto are.

8. Utilize a window a/c. If you've done everything above and your house is still annoyingly hot, setting up a window system A/C could give you simply enough extra cooling to help you make it through the heat wave. I understand. I know. They're awful and noisy and might protest the rules where you live. They utilize more power, which adds to the pressure on the electrical energy grid, and may contribute more to global warming. Still, if you have actually got an energy efficient house with a right-sized ac system, this could be the finest way to handle those heat waves when temperature levels go well above what your main air conditioner was created for. It's a much better option than installing an oversized system simply so you have sufficient capacity to manage the severe heat events. A more expensive and long-term option to the window system would be a ductless mini-split heatpump.

9. Get a home energy evaluation. Trained home energy auditors can discover the issues I noted above and more and suggest solutions. They likewise have devices to measure how dripping your ducts are, for instance, as well as the surface 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 air conditioning unit repair business recommends changing your system with a larger one to deal with heat waves, be wary. Ac system don't dehumidify well if they do not have long term times, and bear in mind that heat waves don't last forever and we don't have bad ones every year. If your AC can't keep up when it's hotter than normal outdoors, utilize the guidance above to make it through. Your home will be more comfortable and effective for it even when the temperature levels go back to regular.