Here comes the heat! With temperatures approaching 90 degrees the first weekend in May, it reminds us that Texas summers can be brutal on you and your electricity bill. 3G Properties in North Texas wants to give you some tips to remember as we approach the summer months. Below are some suggestions on how to keep you and your home cool this summer!
- One of the more common air conditioning tips is to change the air filters for your system six times a year and monthly in the summer months. 3G Properties does this for all of their rentals free of charge on a regular basis so that it help to preserve the A/C equipment and makes for cleaner air throughout the house. This is especially important if anyone in your family suffers from asthma or allergies.
- Don’t allow the interior of your home to become dangerously hot since the air conditioner cannot cool it down within a reasonable amount of time. Air conditioners are designed for about a 20° change in temperature, so 100° air would only be cooled to about 80°.
- Most ceiling fans are reversible: One direction pushes air down, creating a nice summer breeze; the other direction sucks air up, helping you distribute heat in winter. There’s normally a switch on the motor to change the fan’s direction. How do you know if your fan turning in the right direction for summer? Stand beneath the running fan, and if you feel a cooling breeze, it’s turning correctly. If not, change directions, usually by flicking a switch on the fan’s base.
- Keep heat out of your home by closing blinds, shades and draperies that cover windows facing the sun. Close coverings on east-facing windows in the morning and west-facing windows in the afternoon. Also, installing shades or blinds that are white reflects heat away from the house. This will keep you cooler and save energy.
- Don’t let heat buildup in your home. Appliances, electronic devices and lighting are all common sources of internal heat gain. To combat this excess heat, avoid putting lamps or televisions near your air conditioner’s thermostat. These heat-exuding appliances cause the air conditioner to think the house is warmer than it really is, resulting in the system running longer than necessary and wasting energy.
- Eliminate extra sources of heat. Incandescent light bulbs can generate unnecessary heat, as can computers or appliances left running. Eat fresh foods that do not require you to use the oven or stove to prepare.
- For a homemade "air conditioning" system, sit in the path of a box fan that is aimed at an open cooler, or pan filled with ice.
- Try to visit public buildings with air conditioning during the hottest hours of the day if the heat becomes unbearable. Libraries, shopping malls, and movie theaters can all be good places to cool down.
I read through it. Our houses all have central heat so don't know that anyone would put ice in front of a fan but it doesn't hurt to leave that in as someone might do it on their patio. I promise you, if someone's a/c goes out they will be screaming to get it fixed. We standardly change a/c filters for all our houses. Making sure the filter is clean helps preserve the equipment and keeps things cooler. That is a service we provide for FREE to our tenants.
