Home Cooling tips to help weather the summer heat
With sweltering heat making life rough in much of the US for the last couple of weeks we thought we would share some cooling tips from the US Environmental Protection Agency that are low cost and can be applied by any and every body to try to stay cool.
Most of the items are methods that we all have heard before but sometimes we may forget and it doesn’t hurt to have a little nudge to get us to make those small adjustments that could make our lives a little better and more comfortable.
No-Cost Cooling tips from the EPA:
Program your thermostat to work around your family’s summer schedule—set it a few degrees higher (such as 78 degrees) when no one is home, so your cooling system isn’t cooling an empty house. With proper use, programmable thermostats can save you about $180 a year in energy costs.
• Check your HVAC system’s air filter every month. If the filter looks dirty, change it, but change the filter at least every three months. A dirty filter will slow air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool, wasting energy.
• Run your ceiling fan to create a cool breeze. If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can lower cooling costs by up to 14 percent. Remember that ceiling fans cool you, not the room, so when you leave the room make sure to turn off the fan.
• Pull the curtains and shades closed before you leave your home to keep the sun’s rays from overheating the interior of your home. If you can, move container trees and plants in front of sun-exposed windows to serve as shade.
Apply some of these no-brainers to your home or office and surely it will make the day a little better.
Enjoy your summer!
