The main cause for high summer time electric bills is home air conditioning. There are ways to achieve home cooling that will help to cut down on air conditioning costs. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. First look at the sources of heat coming into the house to cut down on air conditioning. Unshaded, south and west facing windows, even if they are double paned, are a major source of radiant heat coming into a house. Lined drapes, window shades, and blinds are all good heat blockers that will cut down on air conditioning use. Another good product on the market now, are window films that are applied to the inside surface of the glass. These come in many different light and heat blocking shades and even include mirrored finishes and designs like stained glass. Some adhere to the glass using an adhesive backing and others rely on static cling. Each type is easy to install and will help with home air conditioning, though the type using static cling is more forgiving of mistakes. While it may seem that the best way to cut costs is to tough it out and not run the air conditioning, doing this will cause other problems. There will be more stress on other appliances, increased damages to walls, woodworks, and ceilings, and more likelyhood of sicknesses. Air conditioning takes damage causing moisture out of the air and filters the air to help clean it. There are other ways to keep the air conditioning unit from running constantly and still have a cooler, drier house.
2. Look outside the house for methods to keep the heat from getting in. Shading windows, doors, and walls is the best way to help out home cooling systems. Awnings, hurricane shutters, and overhangs are all good solutions, and with removable awnings and shutters they can be used seasonally. Another way to block heat from windows is to install sun blocking screens on the outside and these will also help any double paned windows to last longer. Good shade trees are a long term answer, if there is room for them. It will take time for them to grow to size. Deciduous trees -those that shed their leaves in the winter, will provide shade in the summer and let the sun shine through during the cold months. Check with the local extension service to find out what trees are recommended for the area and which possible drawbacks each variety might have. Another excellent source of shade are fast growing vines on well placed arbors. Two or four corner poles and some wire or lattice are all that is needed for an arbor. Some good vines include: moon vine, potato vine, luffa gourd, morning glory, and black-eyed susan vine that are all annuals and will cover a large arbor in one season. The potato vine and black-eyed susan vine can be perennials in the south and become weeds if not kept under control. The more shade that falls on the house the cooler it will be and the less the central air conditioning system will have to work. Under resources below there is a link to an article about making trellises for climbing vines.
3. The attic, home roof, and outer walls all contribute to the heat load on a house. Make sure that the attic and walls are well insulated to block not only heat from getting in, but cold AC air from seeping out as well. Caulk all cracks in exterior walls and around windows and doors for the same reason. Attic ventilation is important, as the temperature in a hot attic can easily reach over 200 degrees and that heat will radiate into living areas and into overhead air conditioning ducts. Ridge vents, soffit vents, and gable end vents will all help, but an attic exhaust fan is the best solution. These run on a thermostat and when the attic reaches a high enough temperature they turn on and exhaust the hot air out and cause cooler air to be pulled in through the vents. These cooling fans will greatly decrease home energy use overall.
4. Look at the colors of the house. Color plays a major role in heat gain as darker colors will heat up faster and get hotter than lighter ones. If it is time to paint the house try to use lighter colored paints that reflect sunlight and heat, to cut down on heat gain. If building a new house or putting on a new roof, pick lighter colored shingles or use heat resistant roofing such as metal, tile, slate, or one of the newer engineered roof coverings. Metal roofing can go right over old shingle roofs, and it can make a major difference in how hot the attic gets and on the home cooling bill.
5. Heat is also produced inside the house. Turn off and unplug heat producing electronics when not in use, such as computers, televisions, and entertainment systems. Wrap the hot water heater in an insulation blanket to keep the heat in it, and to also cut down on its working time. Use heat producing appliances such as ovens, dishwashers, clothes driers, and irons sparingly and mainly when it is cooler after dark or during early morning. When bathing or showering make use of exhaust fans to vent moist hot air out of the house.
6. Dry air is easier for an air conditioner to keep cool and will feel cooler to the body, also moving air will increase the cooling factor on the body. A dehumidifier is good idea for areas where summers are hot and humid. Use ceiling fans and other fans to move the cool air around when the room is occupied. By doing this it is possible to set the home thermostat up to 78 degrees and still feel comfortable. A programmable thermostat will definitely help to cut the electric bill by setting the air conditioning unit to different temperatures at different times of the day. Set it to a higher temp. of 80 degrees while everyone is gone during the day and then set it to go down to a comfortable temp. about an hour before coming home. At night it can be set to a lower temp. to allow for sleeping comfort and then set to go up to a higher setting during the cooler early morning hours so the AC won't run as much. An air conditioning unit will also last longer, and run more efficiently, if it is serviced properly. Keep the filters clean, have ducts cleaned, and have the home cooling system checked yearly.
7. Remember in today's modern house a working AC is needed not only for comfort but because without it refrigerators and freezers will have to work harder and longer, high heat and humidity will affect delicate modern electronics, damp air will increase the likelihood of molds and mildews on surfaces, and there will be an increased occurrence of allergies, rashes, and heat related sicknesses such as heat stroke.
Below under resources there are links to other home improvement articles. Please rate this article and any others you check out, thank you.
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Tags: conditioning unit, down conditioning, heat from, will help, black-eyed susan
