With summer on the way and temperatures about to soar, it’s a good time to think about how well your cooling system is performing and what you can do to keep your energy costs down.
There are many factors that affect how hard your system has to work to cool your home, including:
- Climate—both outside temperature and humidity
- Level of insulation and amount of air leakage in a house
- Amount of south, east and west facing glass
- Whether the glass is single-, double- or triple-glazed or low-emissivity or gas-filled
- Window treatments kept closed or open
- Shading from trees, roof overhangs, awnings or buildings
- How much heat is generated by people and equipment inside the house
- Keep up with routine A/C maintenance, like yearly tune-ups
- Change or clean your system’s air filters at least once a month
- Insulate your walls, windows, doors and attic
- Install a programmable thermostat to adjust your temperature and make sure it is set on "auto"
- Check for household leaks in fireplaces, windows and doors
- Use ceiling fans and switch them to turn in a counter-clockwise direction
- Shut your exterior doors and windows tightly and keep window treatments closed during the day
- Plant trees on the sunny side of your home
- Close unused air vents
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