The biggest mistake most people make during heat waves is relying solely on their air conditioners to make their homes more comfortable. While it’s perfectly fine to use your air conditioner during a heat wave, it’s important to refrain from activities that will make its job harder and put unnecessary strain on the equipment.
Below, we’ve put together tips for ways to help out your AC and feel more comfortable at home during the hottest times of the year.
1. Close your window coverings.
When sunlight streams in through your windows, it becomes heat inside your home. That’s why you’ll feel a pleasant temperature difference when you close the blinds and curtains of your sun-facing windows.
2. Get your fans going.
Even though fans don’t remove heat from the air, they can help remove heat from your body if they’re blowing on you. Plus, fans need significantly less energy than air conditioners, helping you feel more comfortable while reducing your electric bill.
3. Wait until evening to use your washer, dryer, and dishwasher.
These appliances generate heat and humidity–the last things you want more of in your home during the peak hours of a hot day. Aside from being sticky and uncomfortable, humid air also takes longer to cool than dry air, which means your AC will have to work harder. Wait until the sun goes down to run these appliances, and if you can, use your dishwasher’s no-heat dry cycle.
4. Shorten your showers.
Hot showers can quickly make your home’s air muggier. To limit the amount of humidity your showers create, try to do the following:
- Keep your showers extremely short.
- Run your bathroom’s exhaust fan or crack a window to get rid of steam.
- Lower the water temperature as much as you can stand.
If you’re already feeling hot and sweaty, a cold or lukewarm shower can feel incredibly refreshing and cool you down in minutes.
5. Keep the thermostat right around 75 to 78 degrees.
While you don’t want your air conditioner to run non-stop, you also don’t want your home to get so warm that your AC has to fight an uphill battle. By keeping your thermostat switched to “auto” and set at the mid or upper 70s, your home’s temperature will still be comfortable compared to the scorching heat outside, and you won’t run your AC into the ground.
At Jackson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we pride ourselves on providing reliable, quality air conditioning repair services in Decatur, AL. Give us a call today at (256) 353-0051!
