Summers around Tallahassee get hot and humid, so cooling your home can consume an incredible amount of energy. This excessive energy usage means you’re increasing your carbon footprint due to electricity production. Consider these six eco-friendly ways to cool your home this summer to reduce both your bills and your carbon footprint.
1. Natural Shade
Natural shade is one of the best ways to keep your home cool. While you may not be able to grow massive shade trees for this season, consider where you’re putting your garden. Think about adding trellises with some kind of ivy on the south and east sides of your home.
2. Add Awnings
Natural shade can be challenging because it doesn’t always give you shade where you want it. Consider adding awnings around your home to provide shade to your windows. A popular option around Tallahassee is the retractable awning. These have models that mount to your home directly. You can also use a permanent structure with retractable material for the awning cover.
3.Window Blinds
Inhibit radiant heating by adding better blinds, especially on the east and south sides of your home. These need to be thick enough to block out the solar light, such as thick plastic, wood, or retractable vinyl. Keep the shades closed throughout the hottest parts of the day and when the sun is shining in through the windows.
4. Use Your Ceiling Fans
Your ceiling fans may not reduce the temperature of your home, but they do make your home feel cooler. Simply running your fan creates a windchill effect, causing the temperature to feel about two degrees cooler. You’ll want to make sure your fan is rotating the correct direction for the summer, which is counterclockwise when you’re looking up at it. If it’s rotating the wrong way, turn the fan off, and flip the switch on the side of the fan housing.
5. Add Better Ventilation
Good ventilation helps keep your home cool by allowing the pent-up heat to escape. The best ventilation uses technology to reduce the heat of the air coming into your system. These are called Energy Recovery Ventilators or ERVs.
In the summer, these run incoming warm air through a heat exchanger. The incoming air is cooled, reducing the strain on the air conditioner. In turn, this reduces the energy needed to cool your home.
6. Keep Your AC Properly Maintained
Your air conditioning needs periodic maintenance to continue operating at its peak efficiency. The coils at both the inside and outside units require cleaning, not to mention the circulating fan wheel. Your system also requires tightening the circulating fan mounting hardware and electrical connections to prevent unusual wear. All of this happens as part of routine maintenance, in addition to testing to make sure everything still works effectively.
Reduce the amount of energy that your air conditioner uses this summer in Tallahassee, FL. Call to schedule your AC maintenance with the expert technicians at Payne’s Heating & Air today.
