Humidity Keep Your House Cool
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Although I lobbied a week ago to turn the furnace on (and lost), I realize that it's just a matter of time before our famous heat and humidity kick in.
At my house, we're not much for air conditioning. We have central air but seldom turn it on. My husband says we don't need it because we live in a stone house and have a lot of huge shade trees.
I say we don't need air conditioning because I don't like being cold. I can tolerate a lot of heat. I'm always freezing. I probably wear sweaters as often in the summer as I do in the winter because it seems that every place I go is frigidly air-conditioned. And I love having the windows open.
Once in a while, when it gets extremely hot and humid, I turn on the air and, of course, I turn it down. Then I get too cold and I turn it off. Then I get hot and I turn it back on. Do you see a pattern? A bad pattern? I'm thinking this is the worst thing I could do.
I recently read somewhere that setting your thermostat at one temperature and leaving it isn't good either.
Determined to get the real scoop on how to best run your A/C, I spoke with Ellen Jenning at BW Heating & Cooling, Mishawaka.
Regarding the subject of whether to turn up and down or not turn up and down, Jenning suggested, "You should keep the temperature in the house relatively constant in the summer. What does 'relatively' constant mean? Within a few degrees -- maybe 3 to 5 degrees at the most.
"Sooo, let's say you have a programmable thermostat, and you want to program it to keep the house at 78 degrees while you are away at work, and 73-75 degrees when you get home from work. That would be fine."
The problem comes with any temperature variations greater than this. When you let the house get really warm and then turn on the A/ C later, trying to cool it down, the air conditioner has to work twice as hard (running longer, using more energy) to cool the house down from such a high temperature and to get all the humidity out.
"It's the battle with humidity that makes the air conditioner work so hard," Jenning says. "You may be able to get the house to the temp you want, but it takes a lot longer to get that humidity out of the air."
Furthermore, an excess of humidity in the home could develop mold.
So, keeping the house at a pretty constant temperature and that lower humidity level is the best thing you could do.
The thermostat should be set to vary no more than 3 to 5 degrees in the summer.
That is not the case with the furnace in the winter, Jenning says.
"You can vary it much more in the winter because it only takes the furnace a short time to bring the temperature up. And, in the winter, you are not fighting the battle with too much humidity."
She gave other tips; they appear to cover anything you'd ever want to know about air conditioning and keeping your home cool on hot days.
Inside your home:
Have your air conditioning system cleaned and inspected annually. A properly and routinely maintained system will operate more efficiently.
A programmable thermostat is a valuable energy-saving accessory. It can be set to raise the house temperature while you are away and to cool it down just before you come home.
Use deflecting shields on wall registers to force cool air up toward the ceiling. Don't block cold air returns with furniture, rugs or other housewares.
Raise the thermostat a couple of degrees. Your body will get used to it quickly, and you will still be comfortable inside the house in summer clothes.
Keep air ducts clean, and replace your furnace filters monthly.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your thermostat.
Jenning says roughly 40 percent of the heat that builds up inside your home comes in through the windows. So be sure to install white window shades, drapes or blinds to reflect heat away from the house; close curtains or shades on south- and west-facing windows during the day; and make sure the windows and doors have tight seals, to prevent heat from coming inside. Leaks around windows and doors make air conditioners work harder than necessary.
Try these other indoor tips:
Keep lights and computer equipment off when not in use. They generate a lot of heat and waste energy when they're not being used.
An attic fan can help keep super-hot masses of air from building up in the attic and adding unnecessary heat to the home.
For two-story homes, partially close the first-floor registers to force more cool air to the second floor. Gravity will take over, and the cooler air will find its way to the first floor. Temperatures between the first and second floors will be much more even.
Install a ceiling fan to help circulate the air. It will keep the warmer air from collecting at the top of the room and make temperatures more even.
Cook meals on the outside grill, in the microwave or slow cooker to keep the heat out of the kitchen. "Better yet, conserve Mom's energy--eat out!" Now, there's a great idea!
Outside the house, keep high grass, weeds and shrubs away from your air conditioner in order to keep good airflow around it. When mowing, direct grass clippings away from the air conditioner.
Jenning also confirmed one of my husband's theories -- that trees can help. In fact, trees save up to 25 percent of a home's energy for heating and cooling by blocking and absorbing the sun's energy, decreasing heat buildup in your home.
Shrubs and small trees planted around the perimeter of your home can also reduce energy costs. They buffer the wind and provide insulation by creating a dead airspace next to the foundation.
Select and plant shrubs so that when they mature, there will be about one foot of space between the plant and the house. Vines on the house or on a trellis also reduce temperatures in warmer months by shading the exterior surface.
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Although I lobbied a week ago to turn the furnace on (and lost), I realize that it's just a matter of time before our famous heat and humidity kick in.
At my house, we're not much for air conditioning. We have central air but seldom turn it on. My husband says we don't need it because we live in a stone house and have a lot of huge shade trees.
I say we don't need air conditioning because I don't like being cold. I can tolerate a lot of heat. I'm always freezing. I probably wear sweaters as often in the summer as I do in the winter because it seems that every place I go is frigidly air-conditioned. And I love having the windows open.
Once in a while, when it gets extremely hot and humid, I turn on the air and, of course, I turn it down. Then I get too cold and I turn it off. Then I get hot and I turn it back on. Do you see a pattern? A bad pattern? I'm thinking this is the worst thing I could do.
I recently read somewhere that setting your thermostat at one temperature and leaving it isn't good either.
Determined to get the real scoop on how to best run your A/C, I spoke with Ellen Jenning at BW Heating & Cooling, Mishawaka.
Regarding the subject of whether to turn up and down or not turn up and down, Jenning suggested, "You should keep the temperature in the house relatively constant in the summer. What does 'relatively' constant mean? Within a few degrees -- maybe 3 to 5 degrees at the most.
"Sooo, let's say you have a programmable thermostat, and you want to program it to keep the house at 78 degrees while you are away at work, and 73-75 degrees when you get home from work. That would be fine."
The problem comes with any temperature variations greater than this. When you let the house get really warm and then turn on the A/ C later, trying to cool it down, the air conditioner has to work twice as hard (running longer, using more energy) to cool the house down from such a high temperature and to get all the humidity out.
"It's the battle with humidity that makes the air conditioner work so hard," Jenning says. "You may be able to get the house to the temp you want, but it takes a lot longer to get that humidity out of the air."
Furthermore, an excess of humidity in the home could develop mold.
So, keeping the house at a pretty constant temperature and that lower humidity level is the best thing you could do.
The thermostat should be set to vary no more than 3 to 5 degrees in the summer.
That is not the case with the furnace in the winter, Jenning says.
"You can vary it much more in the winter because it only takes the furnace a short time to bring the temperature up. And, in the winter, you are not fighting the battle with too much humidity."
She gave other tips; they appear to cover anything you'd ever want to know about air conditioning and keeping your home cool on hot days.
Inside your home:
Have your air conditioning system cleaned and inspected annually. A properly and routinely maintained system will operate more efficiently.
A programmable thermostat is a valuable energy-saving accessory. It can be set to raise the house temperature while you are away and to cool it down just before you come home.
Use deflecting shields on wall registers to force cool air up toward the ceiling. Don't block cold air returns with furniture, rugs or other housewares.
Raise the thermostat a couple of degrees. Your body will get used to it quickly, and you will still be comfortable inside the house in summer clothes.
Keep air ducts clean, and replace your furnace filters monthly.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your thermostat.
Jenning says roughly 40 percent of the heat that builds up inside your home comes in through the windows. So be sure to install white window shades, drapes or blinds to reflect heat away from the house; close curtains or shades on south- and west-facing windows during the day; and make sure the windows and doors have tight seals, to prevent heat from coming inside. Leaks around windows and doors make air conditioners work harder than necessary.
Try these other indoor tips:
Keep lights and computer equipment off when not in use. They generate a lot of heat and waste energy when they're not being used.
An attic fan can help keep super-hot masses of air from building up in the attic and adding unnecessary heat to the home.
For two-story homes, partially close the first-floor registers to force more cool air to the second floor. Gravity will take over, and the cooler air will find its way to the first floor. Temperatures between the first and second floors will be much more even.
Install a ceiling fan to help circulate the air. It will keep the warmer air from collecting at the top of the room and make temperatures more even.
Cook meals on the outside grill, in the microwave or slow cooker to keep the heat out of the kitchen. "Better yet, conserve Mom's energy--eat out!" Now, there's a great idea!
Outside the house, keep high grass, weeds and shrubs away from your air conditioner in order to keep good airflow around it. When mowing, direct grass clippings away from the air conditioner.
Jenning also confirmed one of my husband's theories -- that trees can help. In fact, trees save up to 25 percent of a home's energy for heating and cooling by blocking and absorbing the sun's energy, decreasing heat buildup in your home.
Shrubs and small trees planted around the perimeter of your home can also reduce energy costs. They buffer the wind and provide insulation by creating a dead airspace next to the foundation.
Select and plant shrubs so that when they mature, there will be about one foot of space between the plant and the house. Vines on the house or on a trellis also reduce temperatures in warmer months by shading the exterior surface.
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