As you try to keep your home cool this summer, you may find cooling costs keep rising. The good news is, there are a variety of ways to help manage how much it costs to cool your home. Here are four tips for reducing cooling costs this summer in Spanish Fort, AL.
1. Minimize How Much Heat Gets Into Your Home
Keeping heat out of your home reduces the amount your AC needs to work to cool the space. Plus, it means there’s less chance you’ll be uncomfortable.
One way to minimize heat buildup is to close the blinds and curtains to block sunlight. Alternatively, you can apply a solar screen over the windows to block the sun’s heat.
Chores like cooking and dishwashing can increase temperatures and humidity indoors. Consider performing these tasks when the temperatures are relatively low, such as early in the morning or later in the evening.
Consider switching your incandescent bulbs for LED or fluorescent lights. Incandescent bulbs release 90% of the energy they consume as heat, which will only increase cooling costs in summer.
2. Adjust Settings to Manage Your Energy Consumption
The weather can change dramatically through the summer season. Therefore, maintaining the same settings throughout is never a good idea.
Energy Star recommends raising settings by seven degrees when nobody is in your home during summertime, even if you’ll just be gone for the workday. The organization also recommends making 4-degree adjustments on your thermostat when asleep.
It is worth noting that constantly changing temperature settings can also overwork your AC; this isn’t so much a problem if you’re only changing things by a few degrees, but larger shifts may become issues. Your AC will keep starting and stopping, which can strain critical components of your equipment.
A sharp decrease in temperature settings will not cool the room in less time. For example, if it’s 80 degrees outside, you may opt for 70 degrees to cool the room to 75 degrees faster. But that will only force your equipment to consume more energy without improving the AC’s cooling rate.
Using a smart thermostat is the best way to manage your settings and maximize energy savings. Most devices have features like geofencing, which activates the AC when you arrive home. Smart thermostats also allow you to create multiple temperature preferences, such as when awake or asleep.
You may also want to check up on your AC when in the office or on vacation. Through a Wi-Fi connection, you can receive updates from remote locations. Smart devices can also generate energy reports you can use to make adjustments for more energy savings in summer.
3. Consider Zoning Your Home
Zoning is necessary for some homes to prevent temperature imbalances across the building. If some areas are always warmer, consider zoning to even out temperatures and boost indoor comfort.
Zoning will depend on the structure of the building and the existing central air conditioning system. Houses with downstairs and upstairs as the primary zones may require only two unique temperature profiles. But homes with a lot of square footage may require multiple zones.
You may install duct dampers or multiple thermostats depending on your current system. Homes with unconditioned rooms may use a ductless AC system to extend the cooling system. A professional evaluation will always yield the best results for your Spanish Fort home.
4. Optimize Your AC’s Efficiency in Spring
You can perform some tasks, such as replacing the filter at least once a month, to avoid airflow problems. Check the registers and remove blockages to boost the AC’s efficiency.
You can reduce your cooling costs considerably by scheduling maintenance before the hot and muggy summer in Duval County. Certified professionals can detect issues at the earliest stages before they become too expensive to repair. After the spring tune-up, you can expect your HVAC system to run more efficiently all summer.
If your AC system is inefficient, schedule a professional service to evaluate your cooling system. Call Air Specialty today and our friendly AC services team will respond promptly, wherever you are in Spanish Fort.
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