Here comes the sun! Solstice is mere weeks away, so to help you make the living easy – and green – this week’s tips are about how to prepare your home for summer.
Without A/C, that is. How? First, seal and caulk to prevent heat from seeping in through leaky doors and windows. (If you weatherized for winter, you’re set.) Then, move the air as much as possible. You can do this with a ceiling fan (make sure it’s rotating counterclockwise), by carrying a personal fan, or, if there’s even a slight breeze outside, cracking the windows on the house’s windward side just a tad, and on the other side of your home, opening the windows wider; this should create a stronger draft.
If you simply must turn on the air conditioner, make sure your unit’s filter is clean and get the refrigerant level checked – if it’s low, you may be wasting 20% of the system’s energy.
Without A/C, that is. How? First, seal and caulk to prevent heat from seeping in through leaky doors and windows. (If you weatherized for winter, you’re set.) Then, move the air as much as possible. You can do this with a ceiling fan (make sure it’s rotating counterclockwise), by carrying a personal fan, or, if there’s even a slight breeze outside, cracking the windows on the house’s windward side just a tad, and on the other side of your home, opening the windows wider; this should create a stronger draft.
If you simply must turn on the air conditioner, make sure your unit’s filter is clean and get the refrigerant level checked – if it’s low, you may be wasting 20% of the system’s energy.
Article courtesy of The Green LIfe (green.life@sierraclub.org)
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