Cooling Efficiency For A Colorado Summer
Summer is almost here, but that doesn’t mean you need to be blasting the AC at all hours of the day and consequently pay high energy bills. Energy inefficiency and overusing your air conditioner is bad for the environment and can also waste a lot of your money. Here are some tips to keeping your home cool to save money and improve the life of your air conditioner.
Regularly Maintain Your Air Conditioner
You absolutely need to maintain your air conditioner to avoid wasting money and energy. One easy maintenance task that can save you a lot of money is inspecting and possibly replacing the air filter. When the air filter becomes clogged, your air conditioner needs to work harder to move air. Either clean your filter or install a new one when it becomes dirty and clogged to save money.
Take Full Advantage of Your Programmable Thermostat
The largest waste of energy is cooling the air while no one is home. If your house is empty, ensure that the air conditioner isn’t running by programming your thermostat. Most thermostats allow you to schedule when the air conditioner will shut off.
Seal Any Potential Air-Escapes
There are a lot of small cracks in most homes that give cold air an opportunity to escape. For example, older windows and doors don’t typically have an air-tight seal around the edges. Fortunately, this is easily corrected with affordable seals that are incredibly simple to install.
Block Sunlight from Entering Your Home
Two places where you can easily block sunlight are your windows and your doors. During the hot summer months, drawing the shades and closing the blinds will help to reflect light away instead of absorbing the energy as heat. The same holds true for your doors. For example, many homes have two doors – an exterior glass door and an interior wooden door. By keeping both doors closed, not only do you block sunlight and heat from entering your home but you also create another barrier to block cold air from escaping.
Insulating Your Home
A poorly insulated home will drain your money and make your air conditioner work double-time. Insulation doesn’t only retain cold air in your home, but it also repels heat in the warmer months. Firstly, you need to make sure that your attic is insulated. Roofs have the ability to absorb a lot of heat, and that heat is transferred to your attic. In turn, the heat will seep into the rest of your home. In addition, you need to make sure that your walls and basement are insulated as well.
Use the Weather to Your Advantage
Sometimes near the beginning or end of summer, we experience occasional cool nights. When the weather is pleasant, open your windows and turn off your air conditioner. Even a small lightly-powered fan will be able to move enough air to cool down your home while still saving energy. The air conditioner uses much more energy than small fans, and choosing to not take advantage of cool air is rather wasteful.
Following these simple tips will help you cut down your electric expenses and simultaneously help save our environment. Fortunately, these steps are easy to follow and can save you a lot of money.
