Warm Weather Energy Tips

 

The one thing that both winter and summer have in common when it comes to energy is that having your home sealed against air leaks is equally as important in the summer as it is in winter.

Sealing your windows and doors properly is a must in the summer as well as the winter, especially here in Northwest Florida along the Gulf Coast. Our area is prone to hot, humid, days in the summertime and you don't want the humidity to be in your home any more than you want the heat. Humidity is what the air conditioner systems are working so hard to get out of your house. Just take a look at the condensation tube on the outside next to your condenser. During the hot summer days you will find water coming out of the line on a continuous basis. Once the air conditioner gets most of the humidity out of your home it can do a better job of keeping it cooler. If you want to keep the cost of air conditioning down you must keep the house sealed against air intrusion and humidity. Another thing to remember about your air conditioner in the summer is that the fan blows much harder in the summer to cool and circulate the air that it does in the winter. This added CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air that your HVAC unit produces also sucks in additional air through cracks around the windows and doors. This action is called air exchange, and that exchange that takes place when you open the doors or windows or have cracks that allow air in around the doors and windows is more rapid than you might think. In most homes the air conditioner produces negative pressure in your home. This allows lots of moist air and heat in through the openings. You can save yourself some money by sealing everything you can, making sure your exhaust fans don't get left on accidently, and by sealing the fireplace flue to prevent the outside air exchange in your home. Caulking and weather stripping is just as important in the summer as it is in the winter.

Have your air conditioner serviced at least once before hot weather arrives. This service will make sure that the cooling unit has as much refrigerant as it needs to work efficiently. Operating a cooling unit with low refrigerant is like throwing money out the window. Also, make sure you change your filter as often as necessary in your home. The smart thing to do is to change the filters on a schedule. Filters are cheap compared to the energy that is lost through inefficiency when they are clogged by debris.

If you and your family are gone all day, I recommend that you get a programmable thermostat. They also are cheap compared to the energy they can save both winter and summer. A programmable thermostat can be programmed to raise the thermostat in your absence and lower it again before you get home, and it can also be programmed to adjust the thermostat at bed time for those who prefer to sleep in a deep freeze like my wife. Programmable thermostats are far superior to the conventional old mercury type thermostats in other ways as well. Just remember, if you change out your mercury thermostat you must dispose of the mercury tube at a recycling center. Okaloosa County and Santa Rosa County both have centers for proper disposal.

You may also want to consider installing ceiling fans if you don't already have them. Ceiling fans can make a big difference because they move enough air to make it tolerable in your home with a higher thermostat setting. Without the air being moved you may find that 76 degrees is comfortable but with the air being moved in your home by ceiling fans you may be able to push the thermostat up to 78 degrees. Remember, once your air conditioner system gets all of the humidity out of the air a higher temperature is more tolerable.

Here's another tip that mom will like, "speed cooking." What this means is, try to cook more of your meals in a microwave and less on your cook top or oven. A microwave oven doesn't release nearly as much heat into your home as typical cooking does.

The same rules apply for lighting in the summer as in the winter. Try to use compact fluorescent bulbs in your lighting fixtures and lamps. Besides being more efficient they also put off less heat than conventional incandescent bulbs.

Something else that can make a big difference in your cost for cooling your home is insulation. If your home is 15 or 20 years old your attic insulation is compacted due to age and other factors, you may want to have someone price adding additional insulation. My home was built in the 80's and my insulation was the type that is blown into the attic space. Most of the insulation had compacted to a level that was actually below my 2x4 trusses. What this means is that all of the loft that makes insulation work was missing. You can find out how well yours is working by just making a visual check. See if the insulation is still loose and lofted. If not, get some more insulation put in as soon as possible. There are dozens of insulation companies in the Destin, Ft. Walton, Shalimar, Niceville, and South Walton County area. You would be surprised how simple it is to get the job done and reap the benefits. It doesn't take long for the energy savings to pay for the insulation and the comfort will be noticeable immediately. Another tip about insulation for those of us who use our attic for storage is not to stack your storage on the insulation. Once you compress the insulation it stays compressed and it will no longer do its job.

Also, use your blinds, drapes, and curtains, during the heat of the day if possible. Canopies for your exterior windows and doors on the South side of your home can make a tremendous difference to the comfort of your home. If you have sliding glass doors in your home or other large areas of glass, tinting or window treatments can make a huge dent in the amount of heat they normally let inside.

More Energy Saving Tips...

If your household is like ours, you may have certain lights that inadvertently get left on most of the time. Most of the manufacturers of electrical devices make a gadget that can save you the energy that is lost by lights that don't need to be on. You can replace the switches in these areas with a device that detects occupancy or sonic presence. These handy little devices will turn the lights on when you enter the room and off again at a preset time lapse when you leave the room. They are adjustable for sensitivity and operating time. They are simple to program and simple to use and they can still be turned off or on manually when the need arises. I use them in my laundry room and bath rooms because it seems that no one wants to remember to turn the lights off in these areas. It is important to realize that 99% of incandescent light is converted to heat. After all, watts=heat.

Also, you should use only as much light as you need. Many living spaces have an abundance of overhead lighting that provides general illumination when you need it. But when you are reading, watching TV, or just relaxing, you don't need all of that light. Just turn on a lamp nearby and enjoy the energy savings.

Many of us are experiencing power bills much higher than we have had in the past. That is one reason that energy conservation is so important. If you want more tips about how you can save energy cost in your particular home, just call the local power company and ask them for a "free energy audit." Most power companies have trained professionals that can come to your home, do a quick survey, and provide you with numerous ways to save energy. Take advantage of the "free energy audit" that your local utility company has to offer.

Let's Talk About SEER Ratings...

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It basically is a rating number that describes how well your air conditioning system works. The higher the SEER numbers the better your efficiency, and the lower your cost for operation. Simply buying a unit with a higher SEER rating isn't enough. Your air conditioning contractor has to know about field adjustments that can be made to deliver the economy that a higher SEER rating can deliver. The things that they must master are extremely important, so make sure that your service contractor is on top of the facts as they relate to SEER ratings and maximizing your efficiency. Field adjustment, airflow, charge, tight ducting, and the size of your system are all critical to a well functioning high efficiency cooling system. If all of these factors aren't correct you can loose the efficiency of a new 14 SEER unit and it will not operate as well as your old 10 SEER unit. If installed and adjusted correctly, a 14 SEER unit will cost up to 50% less to cool your home as your old 10 SEER. This adds up to a lot of money over the course of our hot weather season here in the Northwest Florida area. The duct sizes, the air flow, the refrigerant charge, the registers, the return air, all make a difference in maximizing the efficiency. Duct leakage is one of the more common causes for inefficient systems. Have your AC contractor check your ducting system periodically to make sure you aren't wasting that cool air. Talk to your heating and cooling guys and make sure they understand the design criteria for your home before you buy and upgraded unit and then save, save, save. Please don't fall into the trap of over sizing your air conditioner system in the false hope that it will improve the comfort of your home. Often times bigger may be better but not in the case of air conditioning. There are consequences for over sizing your air conditioner that your contractor can tell you about. But basically you will loose efficiency, increase humidity, and wear out your unit prematurely. Only change sizes for reasons like increased volume of space or plans for expansion.