5 Ways to Lower Summer Energy Costs (Guest Blog – HVAC.com)

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5 Strategies To Lower Summer Energy Bill Costs

Posted by Will Housh on June 24, 2015

hundred dollar bills hanging on a clothesline

5 Ways To Lower Your Energy Bill

  1. Keep curtains closed during the day

    Sunlight can really heat up your home. Keeping your curtains and drapes closed, and your blinds shut during the day will prevent much of that energy from entering your home around and through the windows. Focus on covering east-facing windows during the morning hours and west-facing windows during the afternoon and evening to keep out direct sunlight throughout the day.

  2. Use fans

    A fan won’t have an impact on the temperature of the air, but it will improve the rate of evaporation in the room, which will make you feel cooler. As you sweat when temperatures are hot, it collects on your skin. When the air is still, evaporation takes longer, so you’ll feel warmer; when air is moving, evaporation occurs at a quicker rate, so you’ll feel cooler.

    A fan also helps you feel cooler through convection by creating a wind chill effect. It moves warm air away from you and replaces it with cool air. In the summer, your fan should be set to rotate counter-clockwise so it will push air down. On many fans and ceiling fans, there is a switch which will allow you to change the direction of the fan’s rotation as the seasons change.

  3. Use CFL light bulbs

    The old incandescent light bulbs that may still be in use around your home produce a great deal of heat. Ninety percent of the energy used by an incandescent light bulb converts to heat, not light, which adds a great deal of heat to your home when the lights are on. If you’re not already using compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), you should make the switch this summer. They’ll not only save you energy, but reduce the heat output of the lighting in your home, saving you money on cooling costs.

  4. Change your cooking methods

    Ovens and range tops produce high temperatures to cook your food, and they also add heat to your home. To keep your cooling load down, use low-heat methods to cook foods, such as a crockpot or microwave. These appliances produce very little heat compared to a standard stove or range. Or, take your cooking outdoors to the grill!

  5. Replace your air filter

    Air filters need to be checked and possibly changed more frequently in periods of heavy use. Clean air filters improve airflow throughout the home so air conditioners don’t have to work as hard to keep your home cool. A dirty filter requires your AC system to use more energy to keep your home comfortable in the summer, driving up your electricity bill.

  6. Follow the forecast

    Outdoor temperatures can vary greatly over the course of a day. While it may be a scorcher outside during the day, the temperature drop overnight can be quite cool. Follow your local forecast to see if overnight temperatures will be comfortable, so you can shut off the AC and open the windows, taking advantage of natural cooling to save money without sacrificing comfort

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7 Ways Poor Indoor Air Quality Could Be Hurting Your Home
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          Indoor pollution is a bigger problem than you might realize because we often don’t think about it. While you may vacuum or dust on a regular basis, you could be missing a few things that are affecting the air quality in your home.

When you walk into your home, and it smells stuffy or perhaps a bit funky even after you have tidy up the place, you have an issue to solve.

How Poor Indoor Air Quality Could Be Hurting Your Home

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) will affect the occupants’ health, and it can be especially dangerous to children and the elderly. It can also deteriorate the value of your home because poor IAQ causes increased repair costs to your ventilation system.

 

Here are some indicators of poor IAQ:

1. Increases Respiratory Problems.

Excessive sneezing, persistent coughing, fatigue, and irritated eyes and nose are usually the signs of a severe allergic reaction. If this issue is exacerbated while at home it is a good sign that you may be dealing with indoor pollutants.

 

These pollutants over time can aggravate the lungs leading to more serious health issues. It can limit your ability to make the necessary repairs for your home.

2. Increases Energy Consumption

Dirty air filters should be changed regularly because the build up of dirt can reduce the efficiency of your system. Poor IAQ increases your energy consumption as well as your monthly bills because the ventilation system has to compensate for issues like leaky ducts.

 

Leaky ducts will let all kinds of bad air into your home. One of the most notable is excess moisture, which leads to mold and mold spores that can compromise the healthiest lungs.

3. Promotes Dirt and Debris

You can track it with your shoes or your DIY home weatherization methods do not allow for fresh air into the home, either case there is more dirt and debris in the home. With over 18 million adults suffering from asthma this can be deadly for them.

 

Excessive dirt and debris is a clear indication of poor air quality and also makes the home look unkempt despite your efforts. This is because the dust may be off of the surface for now, but with no place to go it will find itself in your lungs on back on the television surface.

4. Because it Raises Radon Concerns

Radon no longer flies beneath the radar because it is considered a type of radiation linked to lung cancer. Unfortunately, it’s ubiquitous in the environment because it is formed from the breakdown of soil, rocks, and water and the odorless, tasteless gas produced seeps into the air.

 

Testing the air is the only way to assess the levels in the home. Radon concerns can hinder the sale of the home. Though when appropriate action is taken, then a radon free environment can be a selling point for potential owners.

5. Because of Volatile Organic Compounds

Cleaning your home could make you sick. Your favorite cleaner, chemical air fresheners, disinfectants emit vapors that are toxic in your environment. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are consistently higher within the home than outdoors.

 

Sources of these toxic chemicals include paints, dry-cleaned clothes, pesticides, and wood cleaning products.  VOCs can damage major organs like the liver and cause malfunctions to the central nervous system.

6. Because of Smoke Related Problems

Second-hand smoke’s reputation is connected with a variety of health issues. It also increases the effects of pollutants like radon. The smell is notoriously difficult to remove from upholstery, carpets, and curtains.   

 

The common cigarette is known to contain a plethora of carcinogens, such as benzene. Make your home a smoke free environment so that you can protect yourself and your assets.

7. Can Burn Out Your HVAC System

Airborne particulates, mold, and dust can accumulate and recycle back into your home. These contaminants clog the system causing it to work harder to clean the air. It will not only fail at its job but will wear the system down faster.

 

Most of us live our lives on the indoors, so the quality of the air is very important to our health. Many companies now offer services that test the air quality or maintain and clean your HVAC system. Cracking open the windows a few hours a day is also an excellent way to clean up the stale air in the home. With a little attention, anyone can prevent poor air quality.

 

Get Your Ducts in a Row

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One of the most overlooked and important components of the home heating and air conditioning process are the giant tubes running beyond the sheetrock where no one can see them, aka your ductwork. Your ducts are important to the proper distribution of air to your home in the same way that a straw is important when you’re drinking a beverage at a restaurant. If the straw has a hole in it, it is difficult to get enough liquid, if it is blocked by ice or pulp or is too small, you may be unable to get any liquid at all. Make sure the ducts in your home are functioning efficiently and consider the following.
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