St Louis - St Charles Summer Tips For Home Efficiency.
7 Tips For an Energy Efficient Summer
Summer is right around the corner, and with it will come high temps, humidity and hot homes. If you’re tired of spending a ton of money on your energy bills because you run your AC constantly in summer, your current insulation level has a lot to do with it. In fact, installing quality attic insulation in St. Louis MO will significantly reduce the amount you spend on cooling your home this summer. Here’s why.
Here’s why.
1. Check Your AC
Your air conditioner needs regular maintenance if it is going to function efficiently. If you neglect this maintenance, you can expect poor performance and high energy use. On a regular basis, check the coils, fins, heat pump and evaporative cooler. You don’t have to be an HVAC pro to do a basic check of your system.
Simply vacuum out your air vents regularly to get rid of dust and check that furniture is not positioned in such a way to block the airflow from vents. Don’t put lamps or TVs near the thermostat, as it can sense the heat generated by these appliances and make your AC run longer than it needs to.
2. Replace Your Air Filters
This is an easy way to make sure your A/C runs smoothly. Dirty, clogged filters block airflow and lower the ability of your AC to absorb heat. You can reduce your AC’s energy use by about 15 percent when you replace a dirty filter with a brand new one.
Change this filter every month or so. If you use your AC a lot or have pets that shed, change the filter more often.
3. Install LED Light Bulbs
Incandescent light bulbs are not efficient at all. In fact, only up to 15 percent of the electricity they generate is converted into light, with the rest being waste heat. On the other side of the coin, LED lights use 75 percent less energy, last 25X longer, and run much cooler.
4. Adjust Your Thermostat
Set your thermostat for 78°F or higher, or at least whatever is comfortable. You don’t need to live in an icebox to be comfortable! Every degree of cooling you use over the norm increases energy usage up to eight percent. Keep the house warmer when you’re at work or school, and lower it only when you’re home. Set it low when you will be out of the house for a long period of time, such as for a long weekend or on vacation. Better yet, use a smart thermostat that you can adjust with a wi-fi connection and a smart phone.
5. Use Fans
Running a fan is cheaper than running the AC, of course. Did you know that if you ran a fan 24 hours a day for a month, you would only see an increase of five bucks on your electricity bill? The air flow created by a fan creates a wind chill effect that can make you feel more comfortable; unfortunately, it doesn’t change the temperature, it just moves air around. But if you couple your fan and AC to work in tandem, you’ll save cash on your energy bill.
6. Close Your Blinds
Close your blinds during the day to keep out the hot sun, especially with southern- and western-facing walls which tend to get the most heat. North-facing windows, on the other hand, admit only small amounts of natural light, with little glare and nearly nothing in terms of summer heat gain.
7. Add More Attic Insulation
If you don’t have adequate insulation in your attic, warm summer air gets in easily through your roof. If your current attic insulation has a rating of R-19 or lower, consider switching to one with an R-30 rating or higher.
Contact Our Insulation Experts in St. Louis MO
There are many methods of adding insulation to your home this summer, such as spray foam insulation or blown insulation. Either way, we can install it for you. Just contact us in St. Charles MO or St. Louis MO at 636-233-7314.
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