June has arrived and it is officially hot in the Tri-Cities! While we love the hot weather outdoors, we all would prefer for the heat to stay where it belongs, OUTSIDE! Our homes and businesses are our escape venues from the heat. It is important to keep these areas cool and refreshing.
How do you accomplish this without breaking the bank you ask? Here are some tips to help keep the cool air indoors and the hot air out!
- Take the time to seal around your unit and seal your ducts then wrap the ducts in insulation. If your ducts run through an attic space it would be beneficial to insulate there as well. Sealing and insulation require a certain amount of effort but will be well worthwhile in energy efficiency both summer and winter.
- Seal around windows, doors and baseboards. In some cases replacing old windows with double pained energy efficient windows is necessary for a complete seal.
- Close your windows and drapes during the day to exclude the hot air; then open them at night to ventilate your home. You may wish to install interior or exterior blinds, shutters, shades or awnings, particularly on south- or west-facing windows. Additional energy effective window treatments such as reflective films and insulated panels are available as well.
- Reduce the heat that is generated inside your home by using your electric clothes dryer during cooler hours (or the old fashion line drying!) and cooking at off-peak times. Utilizing your barbeque and microwave can drastically reduce the amount of unwanted extra heat indoors as well.
If you follow these simple rules you can help alleviate extra stress on your system while still maintaining comfortable temperatures indoors.
It is our goal at Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning to provide you with all the tools necessary to keep your HVAC system running optimally. If you have any questions or concerns please give us a call @ 509-987-1500. We are here to serve you, let us know how we can help! Stay cool.
