Due to climate change, heat waves have become common in Dallas TX, and if you’re planning to tackle this by running your cooling unit all day long, it may not be the right thing to do.
When you run your cooling system throughout the day, it’ll create immense pressure on the system, which will lead to air conditioner system failure. But summer is the peak season for HVAC companies and professionals. And sometimes, emergency HVAC services get overbooked during this time. As a result, you’ll have to wait for days or even weeks to get an appointment with the HVAC professional. If you don’t want a broken air conditioning system on those hot uncomfortable days, here are 5 ways to reduce workload on AC during heat waves.
5 Ways to Reduce the Workload from an Air Conditioner
1. Use Fans
This is the easiest yet effective way to reduce the workload from the air conditioning system during heat waves.
When the indoor air gets stagnant, it increases the temperature of the house, and sometimes indoor temperature can get higher than the outside temperature. But this can be solved by using fans. When the blades of the fan rotate, it makes the air inside your space circulate and drop the temperature of the house. As a result, you won’t have to run your cooling unit all day long to keep the indoor temperature at a comfortable level.
Again, when there is no one in the house, it’s recommended that you turn on your fans or increase the thermostat temperature. By doing so, indoor air will continuously circulate in your house and keep your space comfortable and cool.
2. Use Curtains on the Windows
After turning on the fans, you can use curtains on the windows of your house. With curtains, you’ll be able to block the sunlight from entering your house and keep your space cool.
When you don’t use curtains on the windows, sunlight will easily enter your house and increase the temperature of your space. Besides, during heat waves, the temperature is already higher, and if you let sunlight enter your house, your space will feel like a stove. That’s why to reduce the intensity of the heatwave and keep your space comfortable, you should use curtains on the windows. This will reduce the workload from your AC unit drastically.
Pro-Tip:
You can use curtains in winter as well. As the temperature gets lower in winter, you can remove or fold the curtains and allow sunlight to enter your space. As a result, the temperature of your house will increase and reduce the workload from your heating system.
3. Schedule the Thermostat Settings
One of the most effective ways to reduce the workload from your AC unit is by scheduling the thermostat settings with your daily routine. For example, when there is no one in the house, or your kids are at school, there is no need to turn on the air conditioning system.
You can schedule your thermostat settings by using a programmable thermostat. With this type of thermostat, you can set when to turn on and turn off the AC. Besides, with this thermostat, you can control the thermostat remotely, which will give you more control over the temperature of your house.
4. Limit the Use of Lights
When you turn on the lights of your room, it starts to generate heat, and if you turn on the lights all day long, it’ll increase the temperature of your house, and your AC unit will have to work more. That’s why it’s recommended that you turn off the lights when there is no one in the house.
The best way to limit the usage of the lights is by installing a motion sensor in your rooms. This motion sensor will automatically detect the presence of humans and turn on and off the lights accordingly.
5. Limit the Usage of Heat Generating Appliances
As the lights of your house, there are several appliances that generate heat while using, such as Plasma TV, washing machine, refrigerator, etc.
To minimize the heat generation, you can set it to “No Heat” while using the dishwasher. Besides, you can set the timer on your television so that you don’t overuse the TV and allow the TV to generate heat. Again, if you have a washing machine, use cold water while cleaning the clothes.
See the summary for this article here – 5 Tips to Reduce Workload on AC during Heat Waves [Infographic]
