Keeping your home comfortably cool through a South Texas summer can get expensive. Here are some energy saving tips to implement before the heat and humidity arrive to help lower your utility bills this summer.
- Use your thermostat to streamline savings — Upgrade to a programmable thermostat if you don’t already have one. Be sure to pick a model that matches your typical weekly schedule, then program in temperature setbacks based on your daily routine. For the greatest energy savings, schedule daily setbacks of 10 to 15 degrees for at least eight-hour periods.
- Run your ceiling fans regularly — Set the blade direction on all your ceiling fans to counter-clockwise and run the fans in occupied rooms. The wind chill from the spinning blades makes your skin feel cooler, so you can raise the temperature setting you program into the thermostat by up to four degrees to save energy.
- Reduce the HVAC system’s cooling load — Use your outdoor grill instead of the kitchen range, set the dishwasher to “air dry” and hang out laundry instead of using the clothes dryer. Clear out excess humidity by letting the bathroom exhaust fan run for 15 to 20 minutes after showering or bathing. To control heat gain through the windows, invest in insulated blinds, shades or draperies and keep them closed during the daytime.
- Improve cooling efficiency — Book a professional maintenance visit now so that your cooling system is working at maximum efficiency throughout the summer. To maintain proper airflow through the HVAC system, keep all the registers open, make sure the return vents aren’t obstructed, and check the air filter once a month and replace it whenever you see any sign of debris.
- Have the air ducts sealed and insulated — Leaky ductwork can rob you of up to a third of your cooling system’s output and increase its energy consumption. To make cooling easier and more efficient, have an experienced pro seal the joints and seams then wrap the accessible ducts with insulation.
For more summer energy saving tips, contact the Coastal Bend home comfort pros at CCAC today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about summer energy saving tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.
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