Surviving Summer Heat: 7 HVAC Tips for Efficient Cooling
As the temperature rises during the hot summer months, the need for a well-functioning HVAC system becomes more important than anything else. Hot climates can lead to various health issues which are especially risky for children and the elderly. Particularly in regions with extremely warm weather, living without an AC can be outright unbearable. But cooling comes at a cost, in the form of high energy bills that your AC produces in the process of transferring the heat out of your home. So, it’s not enough for your AC to just be effective and powerful, it also has to be efficient at its job to ensure minimal energy use.
Here we will look at a few HVAC tips that will help you optimize your cooling system and stay comfortable in the summer without breaking the bank.
7 Tips for Efficient Cooling in Summer
1. Perform Regular Maintenance
As the machine that is wholly responsible for cooling your house day and night, your air conditioner goes through a lot of wear and tear. This adds up over time and can reduce the efficiency of your system drastically, leading to excess energy usage. A lot of times these inefficiencies happen simply due to the accumulation of dirt in various parts of the AC such as the air filters and coils. Clean filters can cut energy use by almost 15%. You can do a lot of maintenance work yourself, but it’s still better to hire professional technicians to do a system check-up at least twice a year.
2. Repair Quickly
Regular maintenance ensures that all parts of your HVAC system continue to function properly for a long time, but even then, things can go wrong sometimes and problems can arise. Maybe unusual noises are coming from the AC, or it is cooling unevenly. Whatever the issue, getting it resolved as soon as possible is crucial. Internal issues with your AC can start small and evolve into more serious complications that can cause the whole system to break down and reduce the machine’s lifespan considerably. Not to mention, ACs with faulty parts also tend to be very inefficient.
3. Insulate Properly
Efficient cooling is not just about transferring heat outside, it also requires that there is minimal heat exchange between the house and the outdoor environment. Adequate insulation is important to maintain a consistent interior temperature and prevent cool air from escaping. Inspect your home for any gaps, leaks, or poor insulation and address them to improve energy efficiency and reduce cooling costs.
4. Upgrade
In certain situations, especially when it comes to old appliances, sometimes there isn’t a better option than to just upgrade. Air conditioners are meant to last for many years, but if the one in your house is more than 10 years old then it’s very likely that it’s very inefficient compared to newer ACs with more advanced technology. Getting a new air conditioner can seem like an intimidating investment, but the long-run benefits are considerable, at least one of which is the money you will save on electricity bills. Lastly, if you are going to buy HVAC equipment always go for products that are ENERGY STAR certified, which will be more energy-efficient.
5. Smart Thermostats
For your AC to be able to cool your house properly, it needs accurate information about the temperature and how much cooling is required, and the thermostat provides this. Smart thermostats provide accurate temperature control and have the ability to change settings on their own according to your schedule and preferences. They also allow for remote temperature control via your smartphone through Wi-Fi.
6. Ceiling Fans
Although ceiling fans will not cool your home as much as ACs, they are a great way to supplement your air conditioner indirectly. By distributing the cold air released from your AC, fans can contribute a lot to air circulation throughout the house, reducing the load on the AC without sacrificing comfort. Remember to set your ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise during the summer. This pushes cool air down, creating a wind-chill effect. You can use other types of fans as well, such as table fans, to create smaller, localized cooling zones.
7. Strategic Landscaping
It might be strange to think about, but even what you have outside of your house can affect how cool it is inside. By strategically planting trees around your house, the shade from those trees can help you save up to 25% energy usage. One of the many ways trees or other types of plants can help, besides just being visually appealing, is by acting as a barrier between the sunlight and your house, thus reducing how much heat gets into your home. They are not one of the more obvious HVAC strategies for summer cooling, but trees really can help a lot in bringing the temperature of your house down.
Your HVAC system plays a critical role in maintaining a comfortable living environment year-round, especially during the summer heat. By implementing efficient cooling strategies and optimizing your system, you can enjoy a cool and comfortable home while saving energy and reducing costs. For any major changes to your cooling system, such as a replacement or repair, always consult professional HVAC services beforehand.
