Staying cool in the summer heat can be a difficult task. Intense summer heat can make your home less comfortable to be in while raising household energy costs. Here are some simple ways to stay cool and comfortable during the summer. 1. Turn on your fans when air conditioning is in use. Using a fan while the air conditioner is running greatly enhances the cooling effect. While the air conditioner lowers the temperature of the air, fans circulate the cool air throughout the room and house. The boost in air circulation creates a wind chill that allows you to stay cool without having to set the AC unit very low. 2. Try using ice and a fan to stay cool. Set a bowl full of ice in front of a table fan. As the ice melts, the fan will blow cooler air toward you. This hack is great for while you’re working at your desk. You could also do the same thing with a fan on your kitchen counter to stay cool while you’re cooking. 3. Cut back on the use of appliances and lights. Appliances, gaming consoles, computers, and even standard light bulbs heat up your house while they are running, so turn them on as little as possible. Run the washing machine only when you have a full load. Eliminate the heat generated when using the dryer by hanging your clothes outside or around the house to air dry. Avoid using the dishwasher if it is not full. Instead, hand wash dishes in the sink and let them air dry or use a towel. Avoid using the oven and stove to prepare meals. Use the microwave or grill instead. You could also consider eating meals that don’t have to be cooked. Chef salad with julienned turkey and/or ham and deli sandwiches are great options. 4. Thirsty but don’t have any ice? Wrap your beverage of choice with a damp paper towel, then place it in the freezer for about fifteen minutes. Your drink will be chilled to perfection! 5. Eat and work out on your deck or patio in the evening. Once the sun is down, outdoor spaces serve as ideal places to have dinner, do homework,...
Read MoreIf you’re looking for advice on saving money this summer, Efficient Heating and Cooling is here to help. Keeping your home cool, while saving money on your energy bill, is the easy part. Allowing your air conditioning unit to work as efficiently as possible, is the key. Helpful tips for saving money while air conditioning your home this summer. Check out our 8 tips to help you keep your house cool, and your wallet full. Annual Maintenance. Before turning your unit on for the summer, it is recommended to have a professional service company, such as Efficient Heating and Cooling come out to inspect it, clean it, and make sure it’s ready to create a cool environment in your home. Replace Filter. Remembering to replace the filter at the beginning of each season, helps maintain good air flow. If the air does not flow freely, your air conditioning unit will be over worked and possibly give up on your most needed days. Programmable Thermostat. Programming your thermostat allows you to stay cool, save energy, and not have to think about it. It’s a win-win situation. Ceiling Fans. Ceiling fans are a great way to move the cool air around in your home. There’s an adjustment at the base of the fan, which help the blades pull up cool air from the floor and umbrella it down around the room. (The opposite way in winter, pushes down the warm air hovering at the ceiling to keep your rooms warmer.) Drawing moisture out of the air, a dehumidifier will help keep your home comfortable. Stable Inside Temperature. Your HVAC is already working hard for you, so be kind to it. Adjust the thermostat while you’re away or sleeping by only a 5-degrees, so it doesn’t take so long to cool things down when you get up or back home. Grilling outdoors vs baking indoors, is a pleasant way to keep the heat out of the kitchen as well as the rest of your home. Window Blinds and Drapes. Keeping the blinds and drapes drawn during the hottest part of the day, or in order to block direct sunlight, helps keep inside temperatures from rising. Shade trees and bushes can...
Read MoreSaving money is always a plus, especially while being comfortable in your own home. Be it winter or summer, the potential savings can be phenomenal. Back in August 2013, the government published Energy Saver 101 picturing a Home Energy Audit. This publication has 101 ways to be protected from high energy costs. What an energy audit is, and what it can do for you. A home energy audit is an assessment of how well your home uses energy. For instance, small cracks in the siding or foundation, can bring as much air into your home, as if you had left a window open for 24 hours. Imagine leaving your window open overnight during subzero temperatures, how much harder is your furnace running? Or, leaving your window open all day while it is over 90 degrees and humid? That’s when your air conditioning unit will be choking! Take that extra pressure off your furnace and air conditioner by calling in a professional auditor. Steps to take before signing a contract: Check with your utility companies. They may do the audit themselves or be able to recommend a local company. References. Get several references from the auditor company and contact them all. Ask each referenced customer if they were satisfied with the results. Call the BBB. The Better Business Bureau may have information on any complaints against the company. Ask questions of the energy auditor. Does the energy auditor use a calibrated blower door? How about thermographic inspections? If not, ask another auditor company. Preparing for an audit. Before the energy auditor visits your house Make a list of any existing problems such as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms. Have copies or a summary of the home’s yearly utility bills (electric and heating if other than electric; such as gas, fuel oil, and coal). The auditor then will analyze the residents’ behavior: How many people live here? Is your home occupied during the day? What is the average thermostat setting for summer? For winter? Do you use every room in the home? What to expect during an audit. Room-by-Room. The energy auditor will do a room-by-room examination of the residence. Utility Bills. A thorough examination of your home’s bills for electric and heating. This will give the auditor an idea of what to look...
Read MoreHow would you feel if you came home after a long, hot summer day, only to find the air conditioner has stopped working? And, then, to be on a waiting list, as the repairman made his rounds to all the other people who also are waiting? Guessing it would make you a bit hot under the collar, wouldn’t it? (pun intended) Preventive maintenance in the springtime is a much better option… Plan ahead and Enjoy your summer! Benefits of Having an Annual Air Conditioning Tune-up Spring is the perfect time to have your air conditioning unit checked out… That way you can be sure your system is ready when you are! While there are many things you can do yourself, there are still other things it’s best to call in the professionals for. To see what they are, feel free to reference one of our previous articles: https://efficientheatcool.com/time-spring-hvac-tune/ Besides coming home to a cool house when it’s super humid outside, here’s some other benefits to maintaining your air conditioning unit: Prevention truly is the best medicine for keeping you cool. Scheduling your annual maintenance check is your first step! You want your air conditioning unit to be in peak condition for the summer season. Plus, ongoing and preventative maintenance help contribute to the longevity of your unit. Increase efficiency of your system. You not only want your air conditioning unit to work, but you want it to be as efficient as possible. Regular maintenance will ensure your air conditioner is running at peak efficiency as you keep your home cool and comfortable. Plus, it saves you money by helping you avoid some of those mid-summer repairs and it lowers your electric bill. Improve the performance. Remember last summer when you noticed that the air coming out of the vents wasn’t quite as cool or blowing as strong as you would’ve liked it to? An annual maintenance check in the spring helps your air conditioning system provide a better cooling output throughout the humid summer months. You can schedule your tune-up here! So, what can you expect from your technician during an annual air conditioning maintenance check? Following are three things your technician will do and why: Clean the coils. Your technician will clean the evaporator and condenser air coils, because dirty coils can decrease the ability of your HVAC system to cool your home. Dirty coils can...
Read MoreEvery home and commercial building utilizes HVAC – heating, ventilation and air conditioning – systems to control the temperature, humidity and air quality indoors. This means residential houses, offices, schools, stores, restaurants, factories and so on all rely on the same basic type of system to keep the people indoors comfortable throughout the entire year. An HVAC technician, therefore, is trained in all three components, and uses those skills to install, maintain and repair heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and refrigeration systems. What Does an HVAC Technician Do? A typical day in the life of an HVAC technician will begin with learning about which types of specific jobs are on the schedule for the day. The technician may be required to fix a broken component, advise whether an entire new system is needed, or simply adjust settings so the system is working more efficiently. Here are a few more tasks HVAC technicians are responsible for on a daily basis: Installation: HVAC systems need to be installed by licensed professionals to ensure their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, a technician will understand and recommend the right size system for both residential and commercial sites, completing the necessary calculations to determine that information correctly. He or she will connect the systems to water lines, fuel lines, air ducts, electrical wiring and more to ensure everything is working effectively. Repair: HVAC technicians are often called in to troubleshoot issues with the HVAC unit itself, the thermostat, compressors, refrigerant levels, air handling systems and more. He or she understand how all components work and can fix the problem or recommend the necessary solution. Maintenance: Properly maintaining an HVAC system is key to keeping it working efficiently for as long as possible. This is why it’s recommended to schedule an annual furnace check or an annual air conditioning check. In these checks, usually performed in the spring and fall, the technician will test and clean the blower fan, inspect the level of coolant, and test the system’s overall operation and functioning. HVAC technicians generally travel to several different customers every day. They might have a fairly regulated schedule if they’re working on a construction site. Or, they may not know what tasks are ahead for the...
Read MoreSummer in northeast Ohio is hot, sticky and let’s face it, there are some days that are just downright uncomfortable. You can cool down by jumping in a pool or spending a day at Lake Erie, or you can head to your favorite ice cream shop for a few of your favorite scoops. However, there’s nothing quite like coming home to a cool, refreshing home after a long day out in the sun. Central air conditioning is many homeowners’ saving grace this season, but sometimes you might notice that the air blowing out of the vents doesn’t quite seem as cool as it could be. On these hot, humid days, this can be a real issue in keeping your family comfortable inside. The Top Reasons Your Central A/C isn’t Cooling Your Home If you’re dealing with lukewarm or even hot air coming out of your vents this summer, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot on your own before seeking professional air conditioning services. These include: Check your air filter. A dirty air filter is often the culprit for a variety of issues with your central air conditioning, including blowing lukewarm air from the vents. This is because when the filter is clogged with dirt, dust, pet dander, etc. less air passes through the system. Your central air is actually working just fine, however, there’s so little air getting back into your home that it feels warmer than it is. A simple fix is to replace the air filter; in fact, set a reminder to replace it every month to ensure your system is working as efficiently as possible. Check the vents. Take a walk around your home and inspect the return vents – those metal vents that suck air in, not the supply vents that blow cool air. The return vents should be totally clear of any type of obstruction, including curtains and furniture. If they’re blocked, they will take in less air which can weaken the output from the supply vents. Check your thermostat. Perhaps someone inadvertently changed the settings on the thermostat, or maybe it was never set correctly in the first place. Take a look at your thermostat, specifically checking the fan...
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