As we dive further into the summer, it’s only getting hotter. That, of course, comes with higher operating costs for those of us that prefer to feel cooler. With a little innovation, you can make your home feel like it’s 72°, without your thermostat being set that low.
Cool Summer Nights
If we get so lucky as to have some cooler summer nights, you can pop open your windows during the night. That cool air will fill your home at the cost of $0.00. If you happen to have a two story home, crack a window downstairs and open a window upstairs. Use fans to pull hot air out of the windows upstairs. If you have a whole house fan, utilize it!
Lights
Keep any light you don’t absolutely need during the day, off. Light bulbs give off some amount of heat, and if they’re all on, you’re unintentionally raising the temperature in your house. Incandescent bulbs give off quite a bit of heat. If 10 of them are on at once, your home is likely going to feel a bit warmer.
Curtains and Blinds
During the hot summer days, keep your blinds and or curtains closed. This will help reduce the greenhouse effect. Blinds or curtains with a lighter color are best. Darker colors absorb heat.
Cooking
Get creative with your cooking. Your stove and oven both give off a good amount of heat. Utilize your outside grill during the summer. You’d be surprised at what you can cook on it! You won’t be limited to burgers and hot dogs. You can cook pizza, fruits, vegetables and even dessert on a grill! (Think: bananas foster!)
Cleaning
The summertime is a great time to switch your cleaning routine to the evening hours. Your dishwasher and clothes dryer both put off a considerable amount of heat. By switching your cleaning hours to the night, you avoid further heating up your house during the day when it already has the sun working against it.
Maintenance
If you can stand it, set your air conditioner to 75˚-78˚ during the day and 72˚-74˚ at night. A well maintained system will run more efficiently than one that is not. Be sure to change out your air filters every month. When a filter is dirty enough, it can cause a decrease in airflow through your system. This causes your system to work harder, becoming more expensive to operate and could potentially end its life prematurely. Sign up for one of our AccuCare Plans to help reduce this threat to your HVAC system.
Ceiling Fans
Keep your ceiling fans on, and make sure they’re going counter clockwise. This will help you to feel cooler. It’s the same concept when it’s windy outside. A 90˚ day with a breeze isn’t nearly as bad as a 90˚ day when the air is at a standstill.
Exhaust Fan
When you shower, be sure to utilize your exhaust fan. Without it, the humidity levels in your house would rise and that’s what gives you that hot sticky feeling. If you wanted that, you could just hang out in the great outdoors, as Georgia provides plenty of humidity on its own. Be sure to turn your exhaust fan off once the humidity has been removed from the bathroom. Running it after that point only causes it to rob your house of conditioned air.
Feel free to share this tips with your friends and family.
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