Keep Temperatures Constant and Have a Cool Home

Upgrading your air conditioner can help lower your energy bills, but for the greatest savings you can’t rely only on your air conditioner. One of the best ways to keep your energy bills down is to reduce heat gain in your home to reduce your air conditioner’s running time. Here are the steps you can take today.

• 1. Use landscaping

Well placed trees or shrubs can provide shade for your outdoor condenser. By keeping it cool, it won’t have to work as hard to keep your home cool. You can also use trees and shrubs to cover your southwest-facing windows or to create shade over your roof.

• 2. Seal your home

You wouldn’t run your air conditioner with the windows open, so why would you run it without making sure your home is sealed? Use caulk around your windows and make sure the weatherstripping under your doors is still intact. It might also be a good idea to add a layer of insulation in your attic. Finally, check your ducts to make sure there are no leaks sending air conditioning where you don’t want it.

• 3. Look for the little things

Virtually everything in your home that runs on electricity adds heat to your home and makes your air conditioner have to work harder. Incandescent light bulbs give off the most heat, so replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs. Make sure TVs, computers, game consoles and other electronics are off when they aren’t in use. Use a microwave or toaster oven instead of your main oven whenever possible. Delay baking, laundry and other heat- producing tasks until after sundown or early the next morning.

If you need help on how to reduce heat gain in your home, contact Air-Tro, Inc. We’ve been serving the Pasadena area since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Monrovia, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Image courtesy of marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net