If nothing else, this weekend proved that summer is back with a vengeance. In neighborhoods across the Sacramento area, air conditioners could be heard humming and families with swimming pools didn’t waste any time to use them. The local weather forecasters claim we’ll see a reprieve for the next few days, which gives us just enough time to make our homes as energy efficient as possible before the next heat wave hits.
The California Energy Commission says that over half of the energy used in most homes is used for space temperature control. Most of us willingly pay the price to keep our thermostats set on a cool 78 degrees (the recommended minimum setting for energy efficiency during the summer). Luckily there are more ways to cut down on energy usage and professionals in Rancho Cordova to help do so.
The whole house fan is a cost effective and fairly simple way to cool the house on pleasant summer nights. Installing the fan would be a sufficient weekend DIY project for many, but a licensed professional will ease the headache if something doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.
A programmable thermostat can save you over $100 per year over the non-programmable kinds. Keep the house a little warmer while the kids are at school and the adults are working. Program the thermostat so the temperature is comfortable when you come home. You should be pleasantly surprised with your next electric bill and you won’t even notice a difference in your comfort level at home. If you have an older thermostat that uses a mercury switch, please contact the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station at (916) 379-0500 for directions on how to properly dispose of the thermostat.
Some fast and easy tips the California Energy Commission offer energy saving tips we can do at no extra cost. Using the microwave to cook food uses one-third the energy it would take the stove to cook the same meal- if not less. Using the microwave also limits the residual heat that is a often felt after using the stove.
After dinner is over, use your dishwasher instead of hand washing the dishes. Your dishwasher uses less water than hand washing and Energy Star models use significantly less water and energy than other models. Choose to let the dishes air dry and you’re saving even more.
Keeping your refrigerator full allows food to stay cooler longer, especially after opening the door. If you keep food close together, the cost to keep your refrigerator chilly will decrease. And you didn’t think that left over meat loaf would be good for anything.
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Air filters are generally used to remove dust particles and other minute unseen particles like pollens and bacteria from the air. Pre-filters can be washed and be reused for best cooling effects.
That is crap, turn off the AC completely when not at home. You can set it to come on about an hour before you come home. Otherwise use a fan with the AC like the article says….
A whole house fan is working great for me during spring, early summer and the fall to cool off the house in the evening. But not during summer (July, August) when the outside evening temperatures stay too high to be comfortable.
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