Cooling Tips For Your Los Angeles Home

It can be a constant battle to keep the temperature of your home at a cool and comfortable level while not breaking the bank to pay your electric bill. Many families are feeling the heat, literally and figuratively, during the warmer months. However, there are some cooling tips for your home that can help create a comfortable balance and be better on the environment. For the benefit of your budget, your comfort, and the environment, follow these summer cooling tips:

Cooling Tip 1 – Keep Blinds Closed

One of the simplest house cooling tips is to keep the blinds closed. Keeping shades and blinds closed during the day can keep several degrees of heat out of your home. In the morning, make sure the windows are covered on the east side of the house, and in the afternoon the west side of the house. In addition, you can take this a step further and buy shades that reflect and further block the sun’s heat out of your home.

Cooling Tip 2  – Give Your AC a Break

If the temperature drops enough in the evening and at night, open your windows to let the cooler air in. This can give your air conditioning unit a break during the night, yet still keep your house at a tolerable temperature. In the morning when it starts to warm up again, close your windows and consider turning on the air conditioning before it gets too hot and the unit has to overwork to catch up.

Cooling Tip 3 – Schedule Air Conditioning Maintenance

It is essential to keep your air conditioning unit well maintained. Each summer before the weather gets warmer, schedule AC maintenance with a certified technician from Brody Pennell.  This will help ensure it is running at its best and less likely to break down when you need it most. If your unit needs work, you can possibly do the work now to avoid a larger bill in the future when you really need your air conditioner functioning properly.

Cooling Tip 4 – Use Those Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a great way to keep cool. In fact, you can keep your air conditioner setpoint up to 10 degrees higher than you’d normally set it and still feel comfortable if you have a ceiling fan operating overhead. Bonus: ceiling fans use much less energy to operate than your AC, making it the affordable and eco-friendly choice for comfort. 

Cooling Tip 5 – Check Your Thermostat’s Settings

The months before summer are a great time to check your thermostat settings. Look for any schedules and see if you need to adjust timing or temperatures for the warmer months. Smart thermostats may have a wide range of advanced settings that can impact your comfort and energy use. If you need help checking your thermostat settings, don’t hesitate to call us. 

Cooling Tip 6 – Check What’s Around Your Thermostat

While you are looking at your thermostat, take a peek around. Are there any heat-generating sources located within a few feet of the controller? Ovens, stoves, coffee makers, hair dryers, and even lamps can cause your air conditioner to run longer than it needs to. Move heat sources far away from your thermostat, or if you need to relocate your thermostat give us a call!

Cooling Tip 7 – Weatherize Your Home

Now is the time to check your home for anywhere cool air could leak out or the outside heat can get in. Caulking and weatherstripping doors and windows can be really helpful in retaining coolness inside. Adding insulation to attics and crawl spaces can also be a huge help. Replacing old, leaky windows can have a dramatic effect on your AC bill, too!

Cooling Tip 8 – Let Air Move Freely

Your air conditioner works by recirculating the air in your home. For the best performance, make sure air can easily move throughout your home. That means keeping doors and corridors open when possible. Homeowners should avoid placing any furniture or other items directly in front of a return air vent. 

Cooling Tip 9 – Replace Your Air Filter

Right before summer is a good time to replace your air filter. In fact, we recommend replacing every 3 months at a minimum. If you can’t remember the last time you replaced your filter, it’s time! 

Cooling Tip 10 – Get a Quote for Replacement

If your air conditioner has been running for more than 8 years, it’s a good idea to get an estimate for an AC replacement. The possibility of summer breakdowns increases as your unit ages. And while we do everything we can to keep repairs affordable, sometimes the parts to fix a unit are downright expensive. Getting an estimate on a new system is free – which means no strings attached. You wouldn’t wait to shop for a new car until your current vehicle has reached its end, right? The same is true for an air conditioner – at least knowing what type of unit you’ll replace with can be helpful even if you decide not to replace your AC before summer. And don’t worry about having all the money saved up- we offer financing to make replacements affordable.

Call Brody Pennell for Cooling Help this Summer!

Use these tips to keep your home at a comfortable temperature during the warmer months, as well as keeping your electric bill within your budget. Whenever you need us, we’re here: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Call us anytime!