Are Your AC Costs Through the Roof?
Kiddie pools and cold drinks help keep you cool through the heat wave, but the best option to beat the heat is to turn on the air conditioner. To cook, relax, and sleep more comfortably in your home this summer, the air conditioning unit will be your next best friend. Although you want to run the A/C you don’t want your money to run through the roof with it. There are many ways to keep the cost of running the air conditioning reasonably low. Read through this list to get you’re A/C costs under control.
- Use your ceiling fan or a standing circulation fan. A fan doesn’t actually bring the temperature of the room down, but can still make a room feel 6 to 10 degrees cooler. It makes the room feel cooler using the wind-chill effect. Fans act as your air conditioner’s assistant. They help disperse the cool air more efficiently. You can actually bump the temperature on your thermostat up 4 degrees and not notice a difference with the fan running.
- Close all of the curtains, binds, and shades. By closing the curtains, it will negate 45% of the heat gain in your home for the day. When you leave for work in the morning, quick close the curtains around the house, especially on south-facing windows
- Plant shrubs and trees around your house. Not only do curtains block out the heat and sun from entering your home, so do plants and trees. They absorb heat and provide a cooler environment from their transpiration, or water loss from the leaves. Not only should you plant around your house, you should also plant shrubs around the air conditioning unit. This will improve its efficiency by 10%.
- Choose a light-colored roof. Replacing a roof is a pretty big and expensive deal. If you are in the market for a roof in the near future, pay attention. The same concept of having thick black hair on your head applies to your roof. The home under that dark-colored roof will heat up fast. A light-colored roof or a roof made of reflective material can stay up to 50 degrees cooler on the surface compared to a dark colored roof.
- Give you’re A/C unit a tune-up. This suggestion is last on the list, but it is one of the most important if you are looking to keep your air conditioning costs low. Cleaning a clogged A/C filter alone can save 5 to 15 percent in energy use. Getting a routine tune-up on the unit will help it run more efficiently and last longer before needing to be replaced.
Beat the heat, but don’t let your wallet take a beating. These suggestions are not time-consuming tasks but carry a massively positive impact. No need to go out in the 90-degree heat to work on you’re A/C, just call Finken. We will inspect and service you’re A/C while you stay cool and relaxed inside!