Home Cooling Tips for Summer
Home cooling tips for summer straight from the desk of the owner!
Ok…so it’s not a million degrees out today but it’s still pretty warm. 😂😂
As an HVAC pro I thought I would share a tip or two to keep your house as cool as possible on the brutal days and a couple things to keep in mind about your air conditioner and what it can really do.
First thing to keep in mind. If you live in Virginia your air conditioner (if designed properly) is designed to maintain 75 degrees on a 95 degree day!! That’s right only 75!!! So if it’s a 100 degrees out. All bets are off. It’s just gonna run and do what it can do!!!
It may seem odd to design that way, but in order to really correctly condition your home they have to be. They are designed for 80% of the summer when it’s 80-90 degrees to be able to maintain a good temperature and still dehumidify correctly. You see, the main point of your air conditioner is to cool but also dehumidify to a comfortable, non mold-growing level. If a unit is too big…way way bigger problems can happen.
It’s the old 80/20 rule! 80% they work great 20% of the time they may struggle to keep up. We have to design for 80% of the time.
So what can you do on a hot hot day to help keep the house cooler and comfy?!
Tip 1: Change Your Air Filters
Change your filter….a clean filter is always a better filter. Also this is the #2 cause of all of our service calls this summer so far.
Tip 2: Keep The Curtains Closed
Pull the shades on all your windows early and keep them closed to block as much solar gain as possible.
Tip 3: Set it and forget it!
Set it and forget it!! It’s only gonna do what it can do. Set it down to temp you want and just let it do the best it can. Don’t turn it off at night and leave the money saving for the 80% of the time. Let that puppy work your house will need it!! We personally recommend and install programmable thermostats from Ecobee.
Tip 4: Clean Your Outdoor Unit
Get your outdoor unit cleaned or clean it yourself. If you outdoor unit has dirt and debris on the coil this will change immensely how well your unit can heat or cool! Get that sucker cleaned or hose it down at least.
Tip 5: Replace Your Unit With A More Powerful One
If you just want a unit to maintain lower temps than your current unit…they do exist!! New technology in air conditioner compressors allows for over sizing. Now the unit can work 80% how it’s supposed to and have that little extra power you need on the really hot days. We are fond of Lennox units!
So if you’re really fed up with 80 degrees on 100 degree day. I do have a solution to the problem.
Hopefully something there can help someone out there.
Stay cool!!!