Beat the Heat

Beat the Heat: Air Conditioning Fixes You Need to Know

The most efficient ways to take care of your home on these hot summer days.

We thought with the excessive heat warnings, we could share a few tips on how to best stay cool and conserve energy in the process.

Should you turn your thermostat down or off if you are leaving for a long period of time? Some people worry that if you turn your air conditioning off, it will have to use up that much more energy to catch back up. But doing this will actually save you money. And not to worry, an air conditioning unit that is running at full speed runs more efficiently and better dehumidifies the house.

Buy a ceiling fan. Some homeowners are under the impression that running a ceiling fan will lower the temperature in the room. While the fan will better cool you down, it will not actually affect the temperature in the room. So you do not need to run the ceiling fans if you are out for the day.

Buy some plants. Placing some large, shady plants or bushes in front of your windows on hot summer days will actually help keep the house cooler.

Does turning the thermostat up make the house cool off faster?  No. Once the thermostat is running full speed, it will continue to do so until the set temperature is caught up. It is always best to not turn the thermostat up too high or you might forget and waste energy.

Take a shower. Don’t forget, if you are still hot and in need of a quick fix, you can always cool off in the shower! And taking a 10 minute shower is actually more energy efficient than a bath!