I had been having intermittent problems with my upstairs air conditioner for the last month or so, Being rather handy, I was able to keep it operational for some time, but it seems now that time has run out.
And even though it’s September, we are still experiencing highs in the 90’s every day.
So, as I contemplate my next move, I have been taking “extreme” measures to keep the upstairs cool. That means judiciously closing blinds to block heat generating sunlight, closing rooms that are not in use, and opening strategic windows at night and using an exhaust fan to cool the house down.
And what I discovered by doing so is amazing: Although we had a high of 94 degrees yesterday, the downstairs air conditioner did not come on until 4:00 P.M.
As a matter of fact, the house is MORE comfortable now, using perhaps one fourth of the electricity that I was using prior to my “situation.”
Even though conservation takes a little effort, it can have a huge payback in dollars saved and help the environment at the same time.
And I suspect that even when I get the unit repaired, I will be less likely to employ the “thermostat solution” and will remain more proactive in saving energy!
It just makes good sense to do so!
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We do the same thing here richard. The summer has been a hot one even in the mountains. I have run the a/c moe this year than in all the years we have been up here combined
It is still hot down here in south Texas too! Ready for a change!
Too hot means no sleep and a grumpy Richard. This has been one turn up the heat summer/early fall.
Great observations. I think we all have room for improvement.
90 degrees, wow. We are here 64 degrees in New York today. I hope our good weather is going to stay. Soon it will be very cold here. Conserve the AC is definitely a good way to be green.
Good morning Richard,
It's amazing with a little strategy in place how efficient your AC can work! It does make good sense to practice saying energy.
Richard, The key to cooling is keeping the cool in and cross ventilation once the sun sets, I live in the mountains but I didn't turn my air conditioner on this summer once.
My goodness, YES!
Pulling blinds to the sun is a lesson I learned as a child in homes with no central air conditioning and often inneficient heating systems.
I've managed to reduce my electric bill every year in the almost 5 years I've owned this house. That means a difference between a $120 electric bill the summer down from an electric bill of $350 a month for the first year before I installed blinds and left the air conditioning off and OPENED THE WINDOWS.
I've used the A/C only 3-4 times this summer and twice was when I had guests. I am quite comfortable without cold air blasting in.
Just keeping the sun out on a hot day is the key. The sun hits the back of my home in the a.m. and the front in the p.m. The sun shining in a room can easily raise the temperature by 10 degrees.
My home is actually comfortable on a 90 degree day with no air conditioning.
Richard.....I have to have a very cool room temperature or I'm awake all night....I like to sleep in 60 degrees.....if it's cool out at night, I'll throw a fan in the window to make the room 55 degrees.....that air stays on all summer....I don't care if the electric bill is $1,000 for the month.....I want comfort.
Richard,
I'm a big ceiling fan guy. Luckily we have high ceilings and big rooms, so I just by the biggest fans on the market and let them do their work. We have similar weather, but my electric bills are very reasonable.
Charlie....
It has been one tough year, that's for sure! Hopefully it will cool off soon. Thanks my friend.
Paula...
It is officially Autumn ... so we NEED the relief. Thanks so much.
Andy...
It makes me want to move to Maine! And your land prices are incredible too. Thanks.
Holly...
It just takes a little planning. THX.
Eileen...
It has been 90 degrees plus here forever it seems. As Charlie said in #1, it has been one hot summer here in GA and it is wearing us down. Thanks so much.
This is a good lesson Richard. Keep the sun out to save on cooling in the summer and save on heating by letting it in for the winter.
Dorie...
It takes a little effort, but the fact that the house remained cool until 4 PM on a 90 degree day amazed me. Thanks so much.
Steve...
You hit the nail on the head. Once the furniture, flooring, walls etc are cooled down, it takes a good bit of heat to warm them up again. If you run the A//C they will never drop below the t-stat temperature. Thanks for jumping in!
Lenn...
The one problem we have is high humidity, and the a/c deals with that rather nicely. But I am surprised that my little experiment concurs with your findings. This is the first year that our electric bill topped $200, and I should have taken action sooner. Thanks so much for your continued support.
Here in South Florida we have been doing the very same thing. We have very thick curtains inside of our blinds and its a complete blackout in the house all day while we are off at work. This keeps our house much cooler all summer and we pay about 45% of what the people next door pay with the very same unit size. Conservation is key as it saves money and energy!!
Barbara...
We had some nights this summer where the temp "dropped" to eighty degrees. They call that a record high low! (Think about it, it makes sense!)
On those nights we depend on the a/c or it's no sleep for us. But now the hours of daylight are reduced, so we do get cooler evenings ...finally. Thanks so much.
Scott...
I installed ceiling fans in nearly every room in the house as soon as we move in. They can really increase the comfort level and allow us to keep the summer thermostat setting at 78. (Can you believe that Barbara?") Our winter setting is 66, so the adjustment is tough sometimes. Thanks for the comment.
Al...
We love our house because it's "light and bright" but that amenity costs MONEY! Thanks for jumping in this morning.
Ah, the humidity. Humidity for me is rather like a nice hug. When you're older than dirt, a little humidity is good for the skin. Not a problem.
I am a fan of air conditioning--but I dont' like it frigid either...I keep it at one temp and don't mess withit !!
Hi Richard, Sounds like a great lesson was learned! We don't have/need air conditioning here but in your climate anything to keep the house cooler and reduce energy consumption at the same time is a good thing!
I think my solution will have to be to move to a smaller house. Even though I normally live in 80 degree weather inside, it still costs a fortune to maintain :-)
My 1800s home doesn't have AC, so these tips were critical this summer. Made it a priority to get shades on the windows where I haven't yet done full treatments. And we did get a window unit for our bedroom, Richard.
Richard,
Due to the rather ragged housing market for the last couple of years, we learned to live with less AC as a means of saving money. The result was that we actually ENJOYED better air quality indoors than had we kept the house closed up all summer. Unfortunately, the hubby has MAJOR allergy issues in the spring that force us to close up tight until the pollen count diminishes. Aside from the allergies, who wants YELLOW furniture!?!
During the day I like to adjust the thermostat to 78 degrees. If my daughter comes home she will always turn it down to 73! Additionally, she always forgets to move it back up to 78 before she leaves the house. This has been an ongoing issue.
I plan to start charging electricity to see if it will help her to remember to turn it up before she leaves.
At night I have to be cold. I am 58 years old and things happen to a body that old. During the day I want to be warmer.
We have also put up those heat barrier sheets that adhere to the windows. I really am enjoying those. You can actually feel the difference.
But here near the coast in Texas it is very hot and humid....it's been a killer for years.
Coming to you from Texas,,,
Richard...Many peopl;e do not realize a major part of going green is prevention.
Richard - it seems everything happens for a reason, huh? It's a good time to replace an a/c - with the tax credit and all. Nice to hear from you!
Interesting..necessity the mother of invention? I can see where this new finding will save you money for years to come!
Richard: It's a great feeling to reduce your energy bills and feel like you're doing something positive for the planet all at the same time.
I know I could be greener... and the thng that motivates me is the greening of my pocket... I'm greener than a lot of people think.
I know I could be greener... and the thng that motivates me is the greening of my pocket... I'm greener than a lot of people think.