Sunshine is wonderful stuff. Besides giving us plenty of Vitamin B12, it also lifts our spirits, especially after a prolonged period of cloudy skies and cold or damp weather.
However, the sun coming into your home through your windows can be your enemy when you are trying to keep things cool and comfortable with your air conditioning system. The sun penetrating the glass will not only heat the glass, it will heat every object that it comes in contact with inside your home. The best defense against this scenario is to keep the blinds pulled during the heat of the day and use thermal curtains. Removable solar shades are also available for your windows. These come in handy as you will want to remove them in the winter when you want the sun coming in to heat the home in conjunction with your heating system to benefit from the solar gain. Awnings or umbrellas over patio doors help as well.
Whatever measures you can take to eliminate the heat of the sun from entering your home will allow you to raise the thermostat a few degrees and still maintain a reasonable level of comfort.
Here are more tips:
- If the outside air has dropped significantly and the humidity is below 40% you can open your windows and allow the cool air to come into your home.
- If you have a whole house fan, use it. Much more cost effective than running the AC unit.
- Close your blinds and drapes in the morning before you leave the house.
- If you enjoy looking outside and don’t want to “close” the blinds, you can angle the blades “upwards” and that will keep out the sun, provide light for the room and you can still see outside.
- Setting your thermostat at 78 degrees when you are home is a great starting point. You can always turn it down in the evening if you want to be cooler while you sleep. Turn the thermostat up 3-4 degrees while you are away to save energy and electricity.
- Using a programmable thermostat allows you to automatically raise the temperature after you leave and lower the temperature before you arrive back home.
- Using a box fan or pedestal fan to blow air on you will make it feel cooler and allow the thermostat to be turned up a few degrees.
- Ceiling fans – in the summer these fans help to eliminate “hot” spots in your rooms and they are much less cost to operate than the air conditioning unit.
Utilizing some or even all of these tips will help to reduce your electric costs while also prolonging the life of your air conditioning equipment.
Call Williams Service Company if you need service or replacement of your air conditioning and/or heating equipment at 717-755-2902.
STAY COOL!
Williams Service Company – Serving South Central Pennsylvania since 1979. 24 hour service, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.