You may find yourself saying “finally!” much more when you view the weather reports this time of year. The warmer spring and summer weather are finally approaching. Our comfort needs are shifting from heating our homes to cooling them. During these days, there are many crucial steps to think about as the seasons and temperatures change to ensure you’re preparing you home for the best possible performance.
We’ve laid out a few tips to help you with that transition below:
· Use your thermostat to your advantage. Setting your thermostat should be a game of mathematics and comfort during the warmer months. As the temperatures begin to rise, be sure to set your thermostat as high as comfortable—especially in the summer. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperature, the lower your cooling bills will be during these months. By always keeping an eye on the thermostat as temperatures swing during these next few months, you can ensure that you’re not wasting any energy. Attentiveness and awareness is one of the best defenses against throwing unnecessary energy away during any season.
· Fans are your warm weather energy friends. Whenever possible, use fans to assist in the cooling of your home. Using a high quality ceiling fan can greatly decrease the amount of time your air conditioning unit has to be on. If you use an air conditioner during the summer months, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise your indoor temperature as much as four degrees without compromising any comfort. That simple boost in thermostat temperature can be a huge savings during the warmer months of the year. It’s important to remember, though, that fans cool people—not rooms. When you leave the room, turn off the ceiling fans. They won’t do any good to your overall comfort if you’re not in the room being hit with the air the blow.
· Check your bathroom and laundry room ventilation. Improper ventilation, especially in high moisture rooms such as bathrooms and laundry rooms can lead to an uncomfortable situation. Moisture from a shower or doing the laundry can lead to a buildup of heat and humidity, which not only greatly raises the temperature in those rooms but can sneak into other rooms as well. By properly ventilating these rooms now, you’ll get ahead of this problem and be able to reduce the workload of your cooling system.
· Be aware of all “heating” appliances and systems in your home. Just because you may only think of a furnace or dedicated heat system as your only source of heat in the winter doesn’t mean other appliances don’t add to the heat problem you face during the warmer months. Appliances such as ovens, stoves and microwaves can actually bring up the temperature of the house on warm and hot days. Don’t let them work against you—grill outside or find alternatives to cooking with these common kitchen appliances to avoid bringing up the temperature of your home.
We’ll follow up with part 2 of this series shortly, which will include a few more tips for warm month energy savings. Remember, now is the time to start thinking about these tips so you can properly prepare for the warmer months ahead. If you need help preparing or planning, don’t hesitate to reach out to BelRed today
