El Paso Air Conditioning Repair to the rescue.
In the summertime, we often see power bills skyrocket as families try to keep out the baking heat. This time of year, running your home’s air conditioning can equal up to 50% of your total electricity use. This isn’t just hard on your budget, it also doesn’t mesh with your green living priorities. Households looking to keep it green often lament having to crank up the cold just to stay comfortable in the summer. Fortunately, there are more ways than one to keep your house cool without using extra electricity, along with strategies to help reduce the power you need to stay breezy indoors.
- Take Your Cooking Outdoors
The stove can become a major source of heat inside the house, causing your HVAC to work even harder than normal. A little cook-out in the backyard is not just delicious, it is also an eco-friendly way to reduce the power your home needs to keep a comfortable temperature. Cook outdoors as often as you can to reduce the heat buildup inside your home. - Set Your AC Closer to the Outside Temp
Did you know you can save 6-8% of electricity use for every degree warmer your AC is set? So set your AC just a little warmer than usual. Nudge it up one degree every two days and your family will soon acclimate to a slightly warmer indoor temperature. When your AC is closer to the temperature outside, it doesn’t need as much power to reach and maintain that thermostat temperature. - Improve Your Home’s Air-Tight Seal
Weather-Stripping Around Doors and Windows
Replace Damaged Window Panes
One of the best ways to improve your home’s green energy efficiency is to prevent drafts. Drafts may be chilly in the winter, but they leak cold air in the summer. Seal up your doors and windows with new weather stripping and/or caulk. If caulking doesn’t solve a rattling window, it may be time to have a damaged or loose-paned window replaced before too much AC escapes this year. - Install New Ceiling Fans & Spin Them Counterclockwise
Ceiling fans are a great way to save energy and cool your house at the same time. Run your AC at a lower setting and then use your ceiling fan to more efficiently cool the space by moving air through each room. Don’t have a ceiling fan in a hot room? You can have one installed by a local electrician service.
In the summer, use the switch on the fan base to turn the blades counter-clockwise, blowing cold air from the ceiling vents down into the home.
- Get Misty
Misting can help your body dissipate heat and feel cooler without using a lot of energy. In fact, it’s also a great way to recover some of the air-drying effects of running your AC all summer. Misting can be done with a bottle, an automated system, or a little cool mist diffuser and all will make you feel better in the misted room. Summer gardens also benefit from misting. - Close Windows and Hang Summer Curtains
During the daytime, keep the sunshine from heating up your rooms with careful window management. Hang filmy curtains for natural light and opaque curtains to block sunlight. Be sure your windows are fully closed every time the AC runs for maximum efficiency. - Apply a Window Tint Film
You can also tint your own windows to reduce sunbeam heating, just like car windows are tinted only it’s easy to do. You can apply a tinting film to your windows or even a lovely stained-glass type design. Both will diffuse the sunlight and reduce the heat in your home in an eco-friendly, low-power way. - Switch Up Your Fabrics
What you wear, sleep in, and sit upon can also make a big difference in the perceived cool comfort of your home. Wear breathable fabrics that allow your skin to self-regulate temperature. Switch to “percale” cotton sheets, which is the coolest weave and will help you sleep cool without turning down the AC. You can even cover your couches and chairs in a cooling fabric if the usual suede, leather, or microfiber traps too much heat when sitting. - Spritz with Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil makes you think cool thoughts. Just like sipping a cold drink, smelling peppermint can lower the perceived temperature of your house. This will make it easier to enjoy warmer air conditioning settings and encourage the whole family to save energy by thinking cool thoughts. - Encourage a Canopy of Shade Trees or Hang Awnings
Shade on the outside of your house also makes a difference. Did you know that homes with a shady tree canopy use the least summer HVAC in their neighborhood? Let your yard trees grow tall to create a protective layer of shade. If you don’t have shade trees, or your trees are too young for shade, use awnings instead to shade stretches of the sun-soaked side of your home. - Have Your HVAC Maintained or Replaced
Of course, the best eco-friendly way to reduce your AC use during the summer is to have your HVAC maintained. An AC that is dusty, iced-over, or in need of repairs will use significantly more power to get the job done. Clear your filters and have an electrician take a close look at your HVAC unit.
If your unit is on its last legs, your greenest option is to have it replaced instead of pouring energy into the unit for the last year. Have a new, energy-star rated unit installed to ensure that your entire home needs less power for more cool in the years to come.
Looking for more energy-efficient ways to keep your home green and cool this summer? Contact us today for HVAC maintenance and repair services.
The guys in the yellow booties are here for all your air conditioner repair needs, along with expert swamp cooler conversions. Look to the pros if you have any questions about converting to refrigerated air conditioning with SoBellas. Call us with questions like, how much does refrigerated air cost or anything about refrigerated air conversion.
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