While it’s impossible to get through a Florida summer without air conditioning, you can reduce your reliance on the AC by improving your home’s ability to resist warming up. Heat constantly moves to colder temperatures and your best tool to fight it is to use materials that resist this movement.
Tips for Keeping Cooler
- Insulation. Improving attic insulation goes a long way toward keeping the heat from radiating through the ceiling. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests homes in our region have from 8 to 10 inches in the attic. If you have ample insulation, consider adding a radiant barrier to its top to reflect the heat hitting the insulation back through the roof.
- Air infiltration. Hot and humid air can enter your home through the smallest cracks in your home’s envelope. Under the right conditions, your home’s indoor air can also escape through the cracks as well, increasing the demand for cooling. Stopping air infiltration is relatively easy with caulk, expanding foam and weatherstripping.
- Window coverings. Thermal drapes, solar window films or shade screens will reduce your reliance on the AC a good deal. Shade screens block up to 90 percent of UV heat gain and are a good choice, since they block the heat before it enters your home. Solar window film prevents most heat transfer, as well. Thermal drapes can add a decorative touch to your home, as well as block heat.
- Fans. Any fan, particularly ceiling fans, will cool you by moving air. You may be able to turn the thermostat up by using fans in the rooms you use most.
- Air filters. Keeping the air filters clean for the AC’s air handler will lower the amount of time the system has to run, as does annual professional maintenance. A clean filter provides better airflow through the air handler and the ductwork, helping your home cool off faster.
The pros at Sun Kool Air Conditioning can help you reduce your reliance on the AC. Contact us today for more information. We’ve provided HVAC services for Ocala and the surrounding areas for more than 25 years.
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