Get Your Home Ready for Summer this Year

With the hot and humid days of summer approaching, the time to prepare your home is now. Although very little can change the heat outside, there are some things that can help keep the conditions cool and comfortable inside, as well as keep the utilities reasonably priced.

Discussed in the following are 10 simple tips to help prepare the home for a hot summer.

1. Consider replacing windows with energy-efficient windows. This will prevent cool air from escaping from the inside, while keeping hot air from coming in from the outside, resulting in lower utility bills.
2. Keep temperature in the home at a moderate setting, 78° or higher. When the air becomes too warm, the air conditioner has to work overtime to cool it down, resulting in a higher cost of utilities and wear on unit.
3. Because this task is so simple, many tend to forget about it, but changing out air filters are very important. They are there to help the overall quality of air in the home and to protect the cooling unit from being overworked. Write the date of change on the filter and change out every 30 days.
4. Planting shrubbery and trees, not placing rocks or cement, on the south and west side of structure will help to keep it cool. Heat radiates where there is no shade.
5. When it comes to selecting thermostats for lowering energy costs during the summer, install one that is programmable. These thermostats are easy to use and they are convenient.
6. Yearly maintenance is a safety step toward making sure the air conditioning unit is ready for operation through those hot and humid days of summer. A trained specialist will check and make sure that the unit is working at peak efficiency and provide whatever services needed.
7. There are certain window treatments that will reduce the heat from sunlight, making the difference in the cooling conditions of a home such as window awnings, reflective films, curtains, shades, or blinds.
8. Houses settle over time and gaps appear around windows and doors. No better time to window strip or caulk around these areas than before the temperature increases, to eliminate incoming draft.
9. Installing ceiling fans will help to decrease the use of an air conditioning unit, which lowers utility cost. Make sure the fan’s setting is for rotating counter-clockwise using a control switch located on the base of the fan.
10. There are some appliances that naturally generate heat when used such as ovens, dish washers, or clothes dryer. Try using them during the coolest part of the day. Do not put these types of devices near an air conditioner thermostat as they will cause unit to run longer than necessary.

Don’t let your A/C suck the fun out of summer. Call Blaze Air Heating & Air Conditioning at (336) 788-3322 for greener HVAC services in the Winston-Salem area!