During the hot summer months there are many easy and effective ways to keep your home cool. A Mesa air conditioner is usually the most conventional and effective way to cool your home, but depending on the climate, there are plenty of greener and more energy efficient ways to cool your home. Let’s take a look.
Correct Positioning
The positioning of your AC unit is important for its efficiency in your home. Placing it where there is ample air flow allows your AC to be more efficient as it cools your home. If it is located on the north side of the house and out of direct sunlight, this will help it to run more easily because the sun is not beating down on it all day.
The Right Size
A properly sized AC unit is also essential to obtaining a more energy efficient Mesa home. Big is not always better in the case of air conditioners because if it is too large, you will be spending more energy and money than you want. Make sure you choose the proper size air conditioner according to the space you’re intending it to cool. You don’t want to choose a small unit for a massive amount of space, as it will work way too hard and you’ll always have it running. Choosing the appropriate size really helps!
Proper Usage
You can also save money and energy by limiting excessive use of your air conditioner. Leaving your AC on in unoccupied rooms is not preferable when you are trying to save energy. Also, make sure each door and window is closed tightly if your AC unit is in use. Otherwise, conditioned air may be escaping, and unconditioned air could be entering- pretty counter productive.
Maintaining Your AC
An AC unit requires regular maintenance during the months that it is in use. Making sure your air conditioner’s filter is clean increases its efficiency in your home. When the filter is clogged or dirty it blocks air flow and reduces the systems efficiency drastically. Some filters are reusable, while others must be replaced, so finding this out and knowing how to maintain your air conditioner’s filter is essential to keeping a cool home.
Ceiling and Portable Fans
Fans tend to be more energy efficient in comparison to AC, but they may not “seem” as effective. It’s usually best to use fans in a small room that already doesn’t receive much ventilation, and for slight cooling. It’s not always the best idea to use a fan to obtain maximum cooling.
Sometimes fans are also helpful while you are running the AC because they can circulate air around the house quickly and can increase the amount of evaporation from your skin, therefore cooling you off.
Simple Tips to Cool Your Home
- Hang white drapes, blinds, or window treatments to reflect the hot sunlight away from the house
- Close drapes, blinds, or window treatments during the day to keep your home cooler
- Turn off incandescent light bulbs and heat producing appliances during the day if possible
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with florescent ones as they produce the same amount of light, but use only a fifth of the energy and heat
- Try to limit heat producing activities such as cooking, laundry, and cleaning until night time
Outdoor Tricks to Cool Your Home
Shade trees around your house can help to cool your home because it blocks the sun’s direct sunlight. Deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides of your house are very beneficial as well. Planting shrubs near or around your air conditioner may reduce the amount of electricity it uses to cool your Mesa home, but always allow enough room for ample air flow. If the trees around your home are planted properly, you have the possibility of saving between $100 and $250 each year in cooling and heating costs.
