What are some good ways I can keep my house cool w/o using up so much electricity?
I’m using dark curtains right now. Should I switch to light curtains? I’m sure something is wrong with my a.c, and I need to get it looked at…I keep it set on 72, but the temp in my house runs around 78…any help to cool down my house would be great.
You WILL spend money.
If you plan to retire in that home, you can invest in more insulation and a new heat pump. Plant fast growing trees on the south side of the house. Install a Solar Powered Attic fan.
If you are living there only temporarily AND water is cheep, visit a garden dept and purchase a water mist nozzel that puts out one quart per hour. spray this onto your current heat pump. This will increase the efficiency of the air conditioner’s heat/cooling cycle. Shade the heat pump.
Rather than dark curtains, go the automotive store and purchase window tint. The darker the tint, the better the E rating your windows will have, you only have to do this on the sunward side of the house.
If you have an attic, purchase a box fan that will fit the opening. Cut 1/4″ plywood to sit on top the opening. Cut a hole just small enough to mount the fan to it. Turn it on during the evening when the sun has gone down and the outside temp is below 80. Open all the windows on the first floor only two inches. Open the windows upstairs 4 inches. This will cool your house faster than the air conditioner and cheaper. Why the attic? The storage of hot air in the attic will keep the upstairs ceiling hot for the rest of the night. You need to blow the hot air in the attic OUT.
My house has a light switch for an outlet in the attic. I have save five hundred dollars per year by not using AC in late spring and early fall and not using ac in the summer evenings.
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Change the filter in the AC every 6 months. More expensive option: double paned argon insulated windows. Insulate attic and crawl space. Open and close windows for maximum breeze or insulation needs.