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Summer Air Conditioning - saving energy and money
Utility Bill Busters
As the weather continues to heat up, more of us are turning on air conditioners. But how do you balance comfort and energy saving? Here's a few helpful tips how to keep your energy bills low this summer while staying cool.
Use fans. Energy efficient fans circulate cool air, whether it is from an air conditioner or not. While stand fans are good at moving air en masse, ceiling fans excel at circulating air vertically, so cool air near the floor mixes with warmer air near the ceiling.
Keep the lights off. Lights, especially incandescent ones, generate a lot of heat. By keeping them off or switching to cooler CFLs you minimize heat gain and heat transfer.
Avoid using computers, TVs, ovens, dishwashers, etc, during the warm parts of the day. During the warmest parts of the day, using heat generating appliances is like adding small heaters to the house. It makes sense then to not use these appliances when the weather is warmest. If you must use a computer, and if you have one available - use a laptop. It uses much less energy and generates less heat.
For rooms that have a portable or window air conditioner, make sure the door stays closed to the room, to let the air circulate within the room. Nothing is worse than having the cooled air escape. Plus, draw the curtains or shades in the room to make sure you get the maximum insulation benefits of the window covering.
If you are in a room for an extended period of time, the air conditioner will run longer. This is due to your body heat. So, if there are more than a couple of people in a room that is actively cooled, you will notice a difference in your a/c patterns and air temperature. Therefore, turn fans on proactively if you know there will be many people in the room and allow the warm air to "escape."
Shield your a/c unit from the direct sun, if possible, but don't block the exhaust vents or condenser/exchange coils.
Use the "fan only" setting on the air conditioner when possible. Or if your air conditioner has it, use the "Energy Saving" setting over the "cool" setting.
If your home has awnings, draw them to shield your windows from the sun.
If you choose to turn off the a/c, open windows on shady sides of the house only. This will allow cooler air to circulate through your house. If possible, turn on the ceiling fan in the room that has the windows open. This will draw air from the window and circulate it.
David Andersen is a home energy expert who wants to help you reduce your energy bills and save energy. He currently researches energy conservation, alternative energy, and DIY home energy audits. Learn more about this article and how to save energy with 100's of free energy saving tips. Visit today ==>http://www.utilitybillbusters.com
Article submitted Wednesday, July 08, 2009 & read 222 times.
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