Reducing Summer Cooling Costs
Who doesn't love summer in Omaha?! The sun, the fun, the freedom to ditch the sloppy boots and bulky coat ... it's wonderful! Of course, Omahans also know that great summers can bring sweltering Nebraska heat. Oh the heat! And on the heels of those rising temps are rising cooling bills. Because of Omaha's unpredictable climate, you never know when you'll end up sweating just when you're trying to enjoy summer. In those times, it's natural to want to crank up the air conditioner for a little relief. But there are better ways of reducing summer cooling costs than turning up your air conditioner. Here's some advice from top electricians in Omaha on how to reduce summer cooling costs:
Around your house
Just like hot air can escape your Omaha home in winter, cool air can creep out in summer. Chances are there are things you're doing around your house that you don't even know about that are allowing cool air to disappear right out the windows and doors. In fact, you probably have air leaking out of most rooms in your house, and this can greatly increase your cooling bills. Not only do you have to turn the air conditioner higher in order to get the room cooler, but it's costing you more because your unit is working harder, which means it won't last as many years as you'd like. Check around your house for leaks in doors, windows, and even in your fireplace damper. Caulk thoroughly around windows, and make sure the fireplace damper isn't open or leaking. In addition, make sure windows are locked instead of just closed. Locked windows have a tighter seal, which also helps to keep the cooler air inside your Omaha house.
If you love the cheeriness of sun, there's nothing wrong with keeping the blinds open when you're home. Sure, it can add a little heat, but sometimes you have to make trade-offs. However, if you're keeping the blinds open during the hours when you're not home, you're adding to your cooling bills for no good reason. Make sure curtains and window blinds are closed on days you are out to reduce the sun's heat from unnecessarily warming your home in summer. Another thing you can do to let the sunshine in while keeping the heat out is to install reflective film on windows to block the heat.
Household tasks like cooking and laundry can add a significant amount of heat to your home. Try to reserve such activities for evening, after the temperatures outside are winding down. In addition, if you have to do laundry on days when temps are hotter, do it in the early morning hours or at night, especially if you have to run the dryer.
Ceiling fans are a great way to bypass the need to overuse your Omaha home's air conditioning. They help keep the room cool because they distribute hot and cool air more evenly throughout. Try substituting your ceiling fans on days when the temps are just a bit warmer than you can handle. Hold off on using air conditioning for those really humid days.
Your air conditioning unit
Along with doing a thorough check of your home to make sure the cool air isn't escaping, you should also do a thorough check of your air conditioning unit to make sure it's running properly. Air conditioning filters need to be clean and dust-free. Doing a check of them once a month for cleaning or replacement will not only keep cool air inside, it will prolong the life of your air conditioner. Clean filters also eliminate dust particles in your home that can cause allergies. You should always contact a licensed Omaha electrician at the beginning of each season to make sure your unit is working properly.
Naturally, your air conditioner's inner workings are a major factor in keeping your Omaha home comfortable in summer. If compressors or coils are not working at optimal levels, you're just throwing money out the window. Contact a skilled electrician in Omaha to make sure the unit's parts are working properly. An electrician will also check to make sure the Freon pressure is where it needs to be. If your system is low on Freon, it's not going to cool properly.
Believe it or not, placement of your air conditioner can affect how cool it keeps your home. Try installing the unit in a shady place to better utilize cool air outside. If you've got your air conditioner right in the path of the sun's rays, you're just going to pull that hot air inside the house. Naturally, you want as much cool air from the outside to come inside.
The only place summer should sizzle is on your grill. If you want to remain comfortable (and who doesn't?!), there are things you can do to keep the cool air in and the high costs out. Don't trade comfort for high costs. Contact a licensed electrician for more information and assistance on controlling those high summer cooling costs.
Around your house
Just like hot air can escape your Omaha home in winter, cool air can creep out in summer. Chances are there are things you're doing around your house that you don't even know about that are allowing cool air to disappear right out the windows and doors. In fact, you probably have air leaking out of most rooms in your house, and this can greatly increase your cooling bills. Not only do you have to turn the air conditioner higher in order to get the room cooler, but it's costing you more because your unit is working harder, which means it won't last as many years as you'd like. Check around your house for leaks in doors, windows, and even in your fireplace damper. Caulk thoroughly around windows, and make sure the fireplace damper isn't open or leaking. In addition, make sure windows are locked instead of just closed. Locked windows have a tighter seal, which also helps to keep the cooler air inside your Omaha house.
If you love the cheeriness of sun, there's nothing wrong with keeping the blinds open when you're home. Sure, it can add a little heat, but sometimes you have to make trade-offs. However, if you're keeping the blinds open during the hours when you're not home, you're adding to your cooling bills for no good reason. Make sure curtains and window blinds are closed on days you are out to reduce the sun's heat from unnecessarily warming your home in summer. Another thing you can do to let the sunshine in while keeping the heat out is to install reflective film on windows to block the heat.
Household tasks like cooking and laundry can add a significant amount of heat to your home. Try to reserve such activities for evening, after the temperatures outside are winding down. In addition, if you have to do laundry on days when temps are hotter, do it in the early morning hours or at night, especially if you have to run the dryer.
Ceiling fans are a great way to bypass the need to overuse your Omaha home's air conditioning. They help keep the room cool because they distribute hot and cool air more evenly throughout. Try substituting your ceiling fans on days when the temps are just a bit warmer than you can handle. Hold off on using air conditioning for those really humid days.
Your air conditioning unit
Along with doing a thorough check of your home to make sure the cool air isn't escaping, you should also do a thorough check of your air conditioning unit to make sure it's running properly. Air conditioning filters need to be clean and dust-free. Doing a check of them once a month for cleaning or replacement will not only keep cool air inside, it will prolong the life of your air conditioner. Clean filters also eliminate dust particles in your home that can cause allergies. You should always contact a licensed Omaha electrician at the beginning of each season to make sure your unit is working properly.
Naturally, your air conditioner's inner workings are a major factor in keeping your Omaha home comfortable in summer. If compressors or coils are not working at optimal levels, you're just throwing money out the window. Contact a skilled electrician in Omaha to make sure the unit's parts are working properly. An electrician will also check to make sure the Freon pressure is where it needs to be. If your system is low on Freon, it's not going to cool properly.
Believe it or not, placement of your air conditioner can affect how cool it keeps your home. Try installing the unit in a shady place to better utilize cool air outside. If you've got your air conditioner right in the path of the sun's rays, you're just going to pull that hot air inside the house. Naturally, you want as much cool air from the outside to come inside.
The only place summer should sizzle is on your grill. If you want to remain comfortable (and who doesn't?!), there are things you can do to keep the cool air in and the high costs out. Don't trade comfort for high costs. Contact a licensed electrician for more information and assistance on controlling those high summer cooling costs.