Air Conditioning and Cooling Tips

Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and
exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at
night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside air.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your
air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in
excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner
to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly
increasing your power use.
Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The
thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air
conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the
airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity
than the same one operating in the sun.

Larry Cummings is a staff member of Earth911.com.

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