To Front Quick Tips to Keep Cool in
Summer
Prepared by: Building Environmental Science &
Technology
(just print these pages for easy
reference)
Air it out!
Cooler
summer evenings can provide useful "flushing" of heat from the day, allowing
you to keep from running your air-conditioner until later in the season.
However, be careful not to let in outdoor air when it is very humid at night.
This can cause the A/C to work overtime the next day.
Such a strategy
works well with ceiling ("Casablanca") fans. You are conditioning the people in
the room, rather than using a lot of energy chilling the whole interior
space.
Control The Sun:
Your
drapes and shades can be a valuable ally in Summer. If they are closed during
the brightest and hottest parts of the day, you may cut up to 25% of your air
conditioning demands.
Also planting deciduous "solar friendly" plants
on the Southwest side of your home has also been shown to reduce unwanted gains
that make your A/C unit run overtime.
Air-Conditioner / Heat pump "Tune
Up"
If you did not have your system serviced in the Spring
(heat pump owners) or can not remember the last time your A/C unit was checked,
schedule that much needed service visit. However, now that hot weather is here,
you may find HVAC Contractors too busy to help you.
Also, look for
discount coupons for early season service offers. A system checkup should cost
$40 to $60 (not including refrigerant if needed, or filters).
Change Your Air
Filters
Your furnace and A/C or heat pump air-handler filter
is likely to need changing in mid-summer. If you ventilate and later run the
A/C system, the filter is likely to have picked up pollen and dust.
This means a visit to the hardware or home improvement store to buy the
proper sized filter. Consider using a "pleated media" filter (better dust
trapping) or a "web" type element filter that can be washed periodically,
instead of being thrown out. Take advantage of any sales or multiple-unit
pricing and stock up.
Better Ventilation
Cooling:
Check your bathroom and kitchen vent fans to make
sure they are working properly and are not blocked or obstructed where stale
air exits your home.
Install ceiling ("Casablanca") fans in major
common areas of the home; family room, kitchen, den and also in upstairs rooms
that may have overheating discomfort in the evening in Summer.
Focus on Heat Pumps:
In
homes with heat pump systems (air source) be sure to clear leftover leaves or
debris away from the outdoor unit. If the outdoor unit is blocked from
air-flow, the heat pump will not be able to operate properly and could even
suffer an expensive failure.
Heat pumps generally work best if left set
on one temperature. If you select a digital thermostat for a heat pump system
make sure the packaging is clearly marked as "works on heat pumps," otherwise
it may not operate the system at all. Caution: Heat pump digital thermostats
are more expensive, and there is less evidence they actually save much
money.
Consider a Digital
Thermostat:
Digital clock thermostats now available for under
$100 can help reduce air-conditioning bills by automatically "throttling down"
your air-conditioner during the hotter part of the day, or when you are not
home. By altering A/C temperature settings you can also take advantage of
"time-of-use" utility rates (cheaper during one part of the day than others)
and "pre-cool" your home, so it can coast through the times of expensive power.
(See caution note regarding heat pumps.)
During the day a typical
setting is -up- to 80 or 82 degrees for the hours you are out of the home at
work, then set it to switch on to "pre-cool" the home -- at about 76 degrees --
about an hour before you arrive home.
However, if someone is home most
of the day, then this may be impractical from a comfort standpoint. In this
case the recommended setting is 76 - or 78 degrees. You may be able to set your
A/C on warmer temps. if ceiling fans are used.
Hot Water:
Check to be
sure your hot water heater is properly insulated. If the tank surface feels
warm to the touch, wrap it with additional insulation, available cheaply at
most hardware stores.
Make sure you do not block air into gas fired
water heaters, and never wrap them with combustible materials like old blankets
or quilts that could catch fire.
Insulated ventilated
attics:
If you frequently feel lots of excess heat in the
upstairs areas of a two story home, or it feels hot "from above" in the evening
in a ranch style home, chances are you may not have sufficient attic
insulation, combined with poor attic ventilation.
Too little attic
insulation is very frequently found by energy "auditors" and home inspectors in
houses older than 1984-1986. In most areas of the US, attics should have
between 9 inches to 12 inches of insulation. There are several types of
insulation suitable for attics, but we recommend cellulose (see:
C I M A ).
Useful Sources of Additional Information:
"PowerSmart" by: Alliance to Save Energy,
is full of suggestions
and available free from the Consumer Information
Center in Pueblo, Colorado.
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/power-smarts/
You can also order it by calling (888) 878-3256.
Alliance to Save Energy, Washington DC
(home)
http://www.ase.org/
Home Energy Checkup (Alliance to Save
Energy / CREST / Howard Associates- B.E.S.T.)
is a nifty tool to help
you screen home energy saving measures on-line
http://www.ase.org/section/_audience/consumers/homecheckup
Note:
B.E.S.T. assisted in the development of this tool.
Save Money & Save the Environment: A Consumer Guide To Buying Energy-Efficient Products for the Home
Consumer Research Council
1424 - 16th St. NW,
Suite 604
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-387-6121
http://www.buyenergyefficient.org/index.html
Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 6th
edition ($13.95 ppd)
ACEEE
1001 Connecticut
Ave., NW #801
Washington, DC 20036
http://www.aceee.org
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(Upd. 5-2006