Tips to Help You Stay Cool and Energy Efficient Throughout Summer

August 17, 2017

Summer weather in Lincoln can be a bear. But you don’t have to choose between being comfortably cool and saving money on your utility bills. We’ve compiled some tips to help you out.

The greatest thing you can do to stay comfortable and ensure energy efficiency is by maintaining your air conditioner. ENERGY STAR® recommends keeping your system running reliably and efficiently, and AW Heating & Air Conditioning can help. During an AC tune-up appointment, we’ll complete the following tasks recommended by ENERGY STAR and more:

  • Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors to ensure safe operation of your system and the opportunity of a longer lifespan for major components.
  • Clean the air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils as required. Dirty coils require your system to run more often to do its job.
  • Check system controls to be sure of correct and safe operation.
  • Look at refrigerant levels.
  • Clean and adjust blower components to be sure of proper system airflow.

Another critical piece to staying cool is routinely inspecting your air conditioner’s air filter. A dirty filter can boost energy costs and damage your equipment, which may lead to premature failure. Our AW Heating & Air Conditioning professionals will check these for you at your tune-up appointment, but you’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to make your own schedule to swap them out.

Here are a handul of other tips to keep your home comfortable and energy-efficient:

  • Look at thermostat settings to be sure your air conditioner keeps you comfy when you are home and saves energy while you are not around.
  • If you find yourself cool at night, you can turn off your air conditioner and open your windows. Let nature cool your place for you! In the morning, shut your windows and window coverings to hold on to the cool air and block the sun’s heat.
  • Use fans to your advantage. An ENERGY-STAR ceiling fan will allow you to set your thermostat a little higher than you routinely would without feeling any changes in your comfort level.
  • Another style of fan people routinely forget about when they’re working to keep cool is their bathroom ventilation fan. Be sure to run yours when you shower as well as 20 minutes or longer after you’re done to remove the heat and humidity from your home.
  • Work to not leave lights on and running many appliances on the hottest days. Obviously, your stovetop and oven add heat into your home, but even routine activities like watching TV, working on the computer, and drying or curling your hair can increase the heat in your home.

If you’d like additional ideas on how to keep your home cool and energy efficient this summer, give AW Heating & Air Conditioning at call at 402-438-7992 or request an appointment with us online.