The Fourth of July marks the real beginning of summer and higher temps in our inland valleys. But keeping your cool this summer doesn’t mean you have to pay a fortune to keep the air conditioning running day and night. How can you stay comfortable and save energy?
Install a programmable thermostat to preset temperatures for different times of the day, so the air conditioning is working only when you are home. The least expensive thermostat models let you set four cycles that repeat every day. Higherpriced models allow you to create settings for each weekday and each weekend day.
Set the dial higher on the thermostat and save 5 to 8 percent on cooling costs with each degree above 78 degrees. For a typical household, setting the thermostat at 80 degrees saves 10 to 15 percent; raising it to 85 degrees will save 35 to 55 percent.
When you leave home for more than one hour, set the thermostat to 85 or 90 degrees. Reset it upon your return, and the room will cool down in only 15 minutes. The system will use less energy during the cool-down period than if you had left it running at a lower setting while you were out.
Consider a fan A fan, which costs 2 to 5 cents per hour to operate, will make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. In frequently used rooms, install a ceiling fan. Also consider a whole-house fan. When run at night with the windows open, a
whole house fan will pull cool air into the house as it vents hot air out through the attic. Ceiling fans can decrease your cooling bill by up to 15 percent, while a whole-house fan can slash it by 50 percent.
Block the sun As much as 20 percent of summer heat enters your home as sunlight shining through windows. To cut solar gain, add curtains or blinds to rooms that get direct sun and draw them in daylight hours. With the shades drawn, a well-insulated house will gain only 1 degree per hour when outdoor temperatures are above 85 degrees. Pay special attention to westfacing rooms late in the day. Two exterior options are to install awnings or plant shade trees.
Leaky ducts can cut into air-conditioning efficiency. Ducts that run through a hot attic should be wrapped with a blanket of R-11 fiberglass insulation. Have an HVAC pro check your ducts and tune up the air conditioning unit by cleaning filters, unplugging coils, unblocking drains and lubing the fan.
Defeat attic heat The temperature in your attic can reach 150 degrees on a hot summer day and drive up cooling costs by as much as 40 percent. If your attic has less than R-22 insulation – 7 inches of fiberglass or rock wool, or 6 inches of cellulose – you should add more. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends most homes should have between R-22 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Attic vents can also significantly reduce attic temperature.
— Adriana Donofrio, Podley Properties, Glendor, 626-914-2904 adrianad@podley.com
