As you recall from the record-breaking heat of 2012, temperatures can certainly get high in the Dayton area. When humidity is factored in, even an 85 degree day can be downright sticky and uncomfortable. Though you may be tempted to crank up the air conditioning, we all know that’s not a very economical decision. Here are a few energy-saving tips to get you through the summer:
- If you’re upgrading your cooling system, make sure the new air conditioning unit is the correct size for your home. If it’s too big, it will waste energy, provide uneven cooling, and not sufficiently remove moisture from your indoor air. If it’s too small, the A/C will have to work too hard to cool your home on hot days.
- Keeping your unit regularly maintained will make sure it’s always working efficiently and reliably.
- Use ceiling fans to help make your home’s air feel cooler. With a fan running, you can increase the thermostat setting a few degrees, giving your A/C a break. Just make sure to turn the fans off when you’re not using the room.
- If you have a programmable thermostat, make sure it’s programmed at a higher setting when you’re not home. Likewise, set your thermostat higher while you’re sleeping. Maintaining energy-saving settings for eight hours or more can significantly lower your cooling bills.
- Although many people don’t even consider their refrigerators and deep freezers in the summer, the heat can affect them as well. Make sure all the coils are clean and the vented spaces are clear of dust and dirt. This will help them work more effectively.
- Two of the best energy-saving tips are to unplug your appliances when you’re not using them and switching the light bulbs in your home to energy friendly models like LEDs and CFLs.
- Manage you house to exploit cooler outside air overnight and in the early morning. Open the windows, if it’s not too humid, then close them up before the heat of the day sets in.
At Ace Hardware Home Services, we are more than happy to give expert advice on energy savings as well as air conditioning installation and repair. If you have any questions, please contact us today. We provide exceptional HVAC services to the Dayton and Springfield areas.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy-saving tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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