You can expect to face hefty energy bills each month, especially during the summer, if you are relying solely on your air conditioner to stay cool while spending time indoors at home. You'll find that without implementing other measures to keep your home cool throughout the year, your air conditioner will face extensive wear and tear that can result in costly maintenance and repair requirements as time goes on.
Luckily, there are a variety of effective things you can do at home to minimize the wear and tear and ensure optimal air conditioning performance on a daily basis – you'll also likely see a nice savings on your monthly energy bills. Consider implementing one or more of these ideas:
Plant a Few Trees in the Yard
Planting a few trees around your home can reduce your cooling needs by up to a whopping 30 percent and decrease the daily workload of your HVAC system. Plant your trees in front of windows and porches that get direct sunlight for the best results. Your trees should grow tall enough at maturity to shade your roof from the sun, so be sure to plant them far enough away from the house that their branches won't fall on the roof if they break off for any reason.
Deciduous trees are your best bet, as they are full of large leaves during the summer for effective sun protection, and they lose their leaves in the winter so the sun can naturally heat your home up. Try one or more of these beautiful options:
- Sweet Gum
- Birch
- Red Maple
- Sourwood
- Weeping Willow
You can also plant fruit trees in the yard to benefit from free food in addition to extra heat protection for your home. Try apple, pear, lychee, or oranges.
Update Your Windows
An effective way to keep the interior of your home cool when it's hot outside is to update your windows with insulation film. Window insulation film will not only provide extra insulation and help keep your energy bills low, but it will also keep your flooring, furniture, and interior walls from being damaged by the sun's UV rays.
You'll find insulation film in a variety of shades, colors, and designs – you can even make your windows look like they're made of stained glass. It can be applied without help from a professional, and it can be easily peeled off if you need to replace it or if you decide to move sometime in the future.
Make Use of a Dehumidifier
Moisture in your home's air can make the temperature feel hotter than it actually is, so it's a good idea to use a dehumidifier to dry out the air and keep temperatures a couple degrees cooler indoors. Invest in a portable dehumidifier that is easy to move from room to room depending on where you are spending your time at on any given day. If you live in an area that tends to be humid, you may find it most effective to have a whole-house dehumidifier installed for use throughout the year.
Install Some Ceiling Fans
By installing ceiling fans in the rooms your family uses most often, you should notice a big decrease in how often your air conditioner is needed during the day. Ceiling fans won't eliminate your need for an air conditioner altogether, but they'll certainly allow you to cut down on its use and save some money on energy expenses while you're at it.
On average, ceiling fans require only about 60 watts of power to operate on an hourly basis while air conditioners use up a hefty 3,500 watts each hour to perform effectively. Program your ceiling fans to run counterclockwise during the summer to create optimal air movement throughout your home. Programming them to run clockwise during the winter will keep the warm and cold air circulating so temperatures stay steady.
Making use of these alternative cooling methods should help keep both your air conditioner and heater in great shape throughout the years, as well as save you a considerable amount of money on repairs, maintenance, and energy costs. For more information, contact a company like Nova Air Conditioning & Heating.
