Prepared by: Building Environmental Science & Technology
(just print these pages for easy reference)
Air it out!
Once the cool temperatures of Winter have subsided it is a good time to check your screens and open up windows for fresh air ventilation. Cooler springtime evenings can provide useful “flushing” of heat from the day, allowing you to keep from running your air-conditioner until later in the season.
Such a strategy works well with ceiling (“Casablanca”) fans. You are conditioning the people in the room, rather than using a lot of energy chilling the whole interior space.
Control The Sun:
Your drapes and shades can be a valuable ally in Spring and Summer. If they are closed during the brightest and hottest parts of the day, you may cut up to 25% of your air conditioning demands. Also planting deciduous “solar friendly” plants on the Southwest side of your home has also been shown to reduce unwanted gains that make your A/C unit run overtime.
Air-Conditioner / Heat pump “Tune Up”
If you did not have your system serviced in the Fall (heat pump owners) or can not remember the last time your A/C unit was checked, now is the time to schedule that much needed service visit. Don’t put this off until the hot weather arrives, since then you may find HVAC Contractors too busy to help you.
Also, look for discount coupons for early season service offers. A system checkup should cost $40 to $60 (not including refrigerant if needed, or filters).
Change Your Air Filters
Your furnace and A/C or heat pump air-handler filter is likely to need changing after the harsh winter’s demand on your forced air system. This means a visit to the hardware or home improvement store to buy the proper sized filter.
Take advantage of any sales or multiple-unit pricing and stock up. Also, consider using a “pleated media” filter (better dust trapping) or a “web” type element filter that can be washed periodically, instead of being thrown out.
Better Ventilation Cooling:
Check your bathroom and kitchen vent fans to make sure they are working properly and are not blocked or obstructed where stale air exits your home.
Install ceiling (“Casablanca”) fans in major common areas of the home; family room, kitchen, den and also in upstairs rooms that may have overheating discomfort in the evening in Summer.
Focus on Heat Pumps:
In homes with heat pump systems (air source) be sure to clear left over leaves or debris away from the outdoor unit. If the outdoor unit is blocked from air-flow, the heat pump will not be able to operate properly and could even suffer an expensive failure.
Heat pumps generally work best if left set on one temperature. If you select a digital thermostat for a heat pump system make sure the packaging is clearly marked as “works on heat pumps,” otherwise it may not operate the system at all. Heat pump digital thermostats are more expensive, and there is less evidence they actually save money.
Consider a Digital Thermostat:
Digital clock thermostats now available for under $100 can help reduce air-conditioning bills by automatically “throttling down” your air-conditioner during the hotter part of the day, or when you are not home. By altering A/C temperature settings you can also take advantage of “time-of-use” utility rates (cheaper during one part of the day than others) and “pre-cool” your home, so it can coast through the times of expensive power.
During the day a typical setting is -up- to 80 or 82 degrees for the hours you typically are out of the home at work, then set it to switch on to “pre-cool” the home — at about 76 degrees — about an hour before you typically arrive home.
However, if someone is home most of the day, then this may be impractical from a comfort standpoint. In this case the recommended setting is 76 – or 78 degrees. You may be able to set your A/C warmer if there are ceiling fans in use.
If you home has a heat pump for cooling instead of an air-conditioner/furnace system, it is usually recommended to leave the A/C setting constant like at 76- or 78 degrees.
Hot Water:
Check to be sure your hot water heater is properly insulated. If the tank surface feels warm to the touch, wrap it with additional insulation, available cheaply at most hardware stores.
Make sure you do not block air into gas fired water heaters, and never wrap them with combustible materials like old blankets or quilts that could catch fire.
Insulated ventilated attics:
If you frequently feel lots of excess heat in the upstairs areas of a two story home, or it feels hot “from above” in the evening in a ranch style home, chances are you may not have sufficient attic insulation combined with poor ventilation.
Too little attic insulation is very frequently found by energy “auditors” and home inspectors in houses older than 1984-1986. In most areas of the US, attics should have between 9 inches to 12 inches of insulation. There are several types of insulation suitable for attics, but we recommend cellulose (see: C I M A ).
Useful Sources of Additional Information:
“PowerSmart” by: Alliance to Save Energy, is full of suggestions
and available free from the Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado.
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/power-smarts/
