Learning About Commercial Air Conditioning Units

Four Ways to Keep Your Home Cooler and Reduce Strain on Your AC Unit

24 June 2016

Floyd Carroll

The lower you keep your home's temperature, the harder your AC unit will have to work. This means higher energy bills and more wear and tear on your AC unit. But there are ways to keep your home cooler without forcing your AC unit to work harder. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Keep the blinds drawn.

Sunshine streaming in through the windows might look nice, but it also heats up your home. Keep the blinds drawn or the curtains closed; your home will stay much cooler during the day. If you want to go the extra mile, you can purchase insulating blinds, which will do an even more effective job of preventing heat transfer into your home.

Cook outside.

Turning on the stove or oven on a hot day will just make your home warmer. So, when the outdoor temperature climbs, take the opportunity to grill outside. You could also enjoy a cold meal like sandwiches or salads to avoid having to turn on the oven.

Keep your ceiling fans running.

Ceiling fans don't make a home cooler, but they do make it feel cooler. When the air is moving over your skin instead of staying stagnant, you feel a lot more comfortable. The fans also ensure that the air throughout your home stays evenly mixed so that warm and cold spots don't develop. Most ceiling fans have two settings. In the summer, you want yours to run counter-clockwise, as this will push air down toward you rather than up toward the ceiling.

Use your exhaust fans.

After you take a shower or wash the dishes in hot water, make sure you turn on the exhaust fans in the bathroom or kitchen. This will ensure the hot, steamy air is ejected outside instead of being allowed to linger indoors. The more humid your air, the hotter it will feel, so letting steam out will make you feel cooler. Since your AC unit also removes humidity from the air, allowing the exhaust fans to get rid of humidity will also reduce strain on your AC unit.

With the tips above, your home should stay cool with less reliance on your air conditioning. To ensure your unit is working as efficiently as possible, it's also important to have it inspected by an HVAC professional on a regular basis. This way, heating and air-conditioning repairs can be made before problems lead to a dramatic reduction in efficiency.

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