Birmingham Public Schools Last Day is May 23
The end of school for most kids in Birmingham is today, which means summer is on the horizon, and so is summer break! Energy bills can soar during the summer months when everyone is home all day long. Your air conditioning efficiency doesn’t get much of a break during the day while everyone flocks indoors to cool off from the rising temperatures outside.
Not to worry! Douglas Cooling & Heating has the perfect solution to your increased energy bills and tired cooling system. Adjusting your thermostat during the summer will help tremendously with cooling costs. We can even help you with upgrading your current thermostat to a more advanced version.
Adjust Thermostat Settings
Programming your thermostat to increase energy savings is one of the easiest tasks to perform this summer. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, consider upgrading your current one now rather than later in the year. Raise your thermostat to a higher temperature 30 minutes before leaving for work or going to bed. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can also set your thermostat to change 30 minutes before coming home or before you wake up in the morning.
To determine how high of a temperature you can withstand without sacrificing comfort, start raising your thermostat by one degree every day. Your body will adjust to the slow temperature change, indicating your threshold for comfort. Every few degrees save you money on your energy and improve your air conditioning efficiency. After figuring out the temperature comfortable for your household, make it the preset temperature when you are home and awake.
While you are away from your house, pull the blinds closed over your windows. By limiting the amount of sun shining into your home, especially during the hottest times of the day, you will reduce the amount of heat gain raising your indoor temperature setting. Utilize a centrally located ceiling fan in your home to circulate cool air.
Upgrade Your Thermostat
Older “dial” thermostats are one of the biggest obstacles for your cooling system and its efficiency. Newer and more advanced programmable thermostats are designed to impact air conditioning efficiency. You don’t have to manually set the temperature for when you wake up, leave, arrive home, or go to bed. Each programmable thermostat offers different features.
- Wi-Fi compatibilities are one of the most useful features for programmable thermostats. You can access and change your thermostat settings at home or from anywhere in the world with Wi-Fi access. Most thermostats have mobile applications for smartphones and tablets for easy monitoring and quick adjustments.
- Homeowners are sent email reminders when maintenance is needed and when it’s time to change the air filter on their HVAC unit. A smart thermostat will even notify you when something is wrong with your system so you can quickly schedule an HVAC repair.
- Smart thermostats are more accurate than any other thermostat available. Many detect the number of occupants in a room and independently adjust the temperature without you lifting a finger. With increased accuracy, your home will experience consistent temperatures in every room without forcing your HVAC system to operate more than necessary.
- Zoning capabilities are easily achieved with the use of a smart thermostat combined with zoned heating and cooling. Rooms are independently cooled, allowing your unit to operate more efficiently, not working harder to cool empty rooms.
Get ready for the end of the school year and your kids being home during the day by adjusting your thermostat settings to boost air conditioning efficiency. With the right programmable or smart thermostat in your home, you can achieve even more energy efficiency and savings. Contact Douglas Cooling & Heating to upgrade to a smart thermostat and ensure installation is quick and easy.
