Keeping your Home Cool in the Summer

Tips and Tricks for keeping your home cool in the summer!
(It's not too early to write about this, is it?)

Internal Heating sources that can make your home warmer during the summer are; appliances, electronic devices, and lighting. Lights are a huge heat source when kept on, in kitchens, bathrooms and closets these all general heat and make your air conditioning have to work harder.

Be aware if your air conditioning unit is near anything such as lamps or various other heat sources, your air conditioning may think its warmer in the home that it really is!

If you have an attic , consider insulating it as much as possible, which can cut your cooling costs by as much as 10%.

Use fans in the home, ceiling fans, floor fans which can help cool the air in a room as much as 4 degrees! While ceiling fans do work best for this, portable fans work as well.

Close those blinds, curtains and shades! Having your windows open and exposed to the light can generate heat, making your air conditioning work longer. Windows account for a large increase in home heat and air conditioning during the summer months. White blinds and shutters are highly recommended to help decrease heat that comes into your home.There is also Heat controlled window film that can help greatly reduce heat that comes in from direct sunlight on your windows, therefore increasing your air conditioning use in your home!

Clean the filters monthly on your air conditioning, dirty filters also restrict air flow and by making sure they are cleaned regularly it will help to ensure that your air conditioning will run efficiently. You can also purchase monthly disposable type filters or air conditioning filters that are reusable.

In case of emergency or questions on your air conditioning or ventilation system, always have a Heat, Ventilation and Air conditioning specialist (HVAC) contact information nearby. These HVAC Specialists can assist you with a variety of concerns and problems during the peak summer months when air conditioning is in high demand use.

Use Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) inside. CFLs use 75% less energy and produce 75% less heat than incandescent light bulbs which saves on cooling costs.

Have your A/C serviced once a year to make sure it’s running at it's best.

If considering replacing or adding a air conditioning unit to your home, consult a HVAC specialist who can recommend the best possible type of unit for your home.

Make sure your fire place damper is closed to prevent warm air from coming in.

There are many little things you can do to help not only cool your home but increase the costs in cooling it as well. Little things add up when it comes to you air conditioning your home and keeping cool during the summer.