How to Keep the Temperature in Your Home within Bearable Boundaries in the Summer
Posted in Uncategorized on 02/10/2010 01:54 am byIs your icebox one of the most frequently visited places in your home during the summer months? Is the temperature in your home so intolerably high that the only place you want to be is Iceland? Millions of homeowners in Toronto and other places are impacted by this scenario every summer. Before the next hot summer arrives, let’s go through a couple of tips on how to prepare for it.
Air-conditioning: the most accessible option
If you wish to try to decrease the temperature inside your house, there are several ways how to manage that. The most effective, but most costly, is the conventional air-conditioner. If this is your fancied option, then there are several tips to ensure you are getting the best value possible from your AC unit. First, choose a machine of the correct size according to the size of your house or flat. A 5,000 btu AC should be enough to cool a common two-bedroom family home. Ideally, the machine should be located in a window on the wall that faces north, if that is possible. Like this, the machine itself will be kept cooler and will work more efficiently. The internal filters should be cleaned at least monthly, so that all the house dust doesn’t build up and affect the operation of the machine. If you know you won’t be home for more than an hour, just turn the AC off and then after your return re-cool the rooms, this way it is more economical.
Solutions for green-thinking people
What if you are environmentally aware and are against the use of these power-hungry appliances? Well, there are several options to decrease the internal temperature without contributing to global warming by excessive and unnecessary use of CO2 producing fossil fuels. So, let’s begin at the top of your home and work our way downwards.
Roof
As you may already know, the amount of heat transferred depends on the sort of material it goes through. Tiles, shingles or other types of roofing materials are a great example of this. Your attic space should be insulated with perfect quality material. If you use a 12 inch layer instead of a 3 inch, the cost of cooling your home may be reduced by up to 10 percent.
More tips and tricks are included in the Keeping your Toronto home cool article.