Tampa, FL experiences lots of hot and humid weather in spring and fall as well as summer. So, most homeowners here keep their air conditioning running frequently throughout the year. This can be an issue since air conditioning requires large amounts of electricity and sometimes uses more energy than all the other appliances in a home combined.

That’s why it’s important to take steps to ensure your home stays cool, so you can save money by avoiding overusing your AC. We’ll explore some of the best options for doing so.

Make Sure Your AC System Is Well Maintained

Your air conditioning system will never work as well as it should if you don’t have it regularly maintained by a professional. It could end up running more, and you may struggle to keep your home as cool as you want it to be. This is because issues like the AC condenser and evaporator coil getting dirty will occur over time and limit the system’s effectiveness. By scheduling annual AC maintenance service, you can help your air conditioning perform much better and your home stay cooler.

Use a Smart Thermostat to Control Your AC

A smart thermostat gives you a great way to make sure that your air conditioning never runs more than you need it to. This is because the thermostat can adjust automatically based on how warm your home is. Some units can also make minor adjustments based on the outdoor temperature so that the AC doesn’t run as much on cooler days. You can also use the thermostat app to monitor your home’s temperature when you’re away. That way, you can prevent your AC from running needlessly when no one is home.

Invest in a Whole-House Dehumidifier

Humidity has a major impact on how warm or cool your home feels. Regardless of the actual air temperature, humid air always makes you feel hotter. High humidity also makes air conditioners cool less effectively and thus more slowly. This is why so many Tampa homes have whole-house dehumidifiers. They help keep the house from being too humid and ensure it feels cooler and more comfortable. That means you can set your thermostat a few degrees higher without any noticeable difference in your comfort level. Another advantage is that a dehumidifier will allow your AC to cool more effectively and operate more efficiently. This is because the air is slightly cooled as it flows through the dehumidifier, resulting in less latent heat that your AC must remove.

Cover All Your Windows

One of the best things you can do to keep your home cooler during the day and reduce the amount of work your AC must do is to keep your blinds and curtains shut during the hottest part of the day. In most homes, windows are the biggest contributors to daytime heat gain due to the sun constantly shining in through them. Blinds and curtains are a good idea since they will block out the sun and stop most of this heat gain from occurring. Another option, if you prefer to leave your windows uncovered, is to use UV-blocking window film. Most films block around 99% of UV rays to prevent heat gain while allowing you to see outside.

Use LED Light Bulbs, and Turn Lights Off

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) outlawed the manufacture and sale of traditional incandescent light bulbs in August 2023. This is beneficial since incandescent lighting uses a lot of energy and gives off much of it in the form of heat. The ban means your only choices now for most light fixtures are compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and LEDs. Of the two, LEDs are the far better choice since they are more energy efficient and don’t give off nearly as much heat.

Even though CFLs get much hotter, LED bulbs also give off some heat. Most LEDs give off around 70% to 80% of the energy they consume as light, and the remaining 20% to 30% as heat. Its power influences how hot any LED gets. However, the ambient air temperature also makes a major difference. The warmer it is inside your home, the more heat will be emanating from your LEDs.

The amount of heat produced typically isn’t enough to make the bulb feel hot to the touch, but it is still enough to slowly raise the temperature inside your house over time. That’s why you should try to take advantage of natural lighting as much as you can and make sure you always turn off your lights when exiting any room. Using dimmer switches is also helpful since the bulbs will give off less heat when dimmed. Some steps, such as using LEDs and turning your lights off, may not seem like they’ll make much of a difference. However, they can help to keep your home a bit cooler, especially when taken in conjunction with the other steps on this list.

Turn Your Ceiling Fans On

Most ceiling fans are two-way devices that can spin both clockwise and counterclockwise. During the hotter parts of the year, you want to make sure to keep them spinning counterclockwise. Ceiling fans create a downdraft when spinning in this direction. That means that they push air downward and produce a breeze that will help make you feel cooler and the air feel less stuffy.

Be Wary of Heat Sources

Some home appliances, like stoves, ovens, dishwashers, washing machines and especially clothes dryers, put out large amounts of heat. That means using these appliances during the day will cause your house to get hotter and increase the workload on your AC system. Use these appliances only in the early morning or evening whenever possible. This will prevent your AC system from having to work harder.

There will be many situations in which you still need to use your stove or oven while the hot sun is out. At these times, make sure to turn the exhaust fan or hood in your kitchen on and leave it running for 30 minutes or so after you finish cooking. The fan will continually draw most of the heat radiating out of the stove and oven outside. That means it will prevent your kitchen and nearby areas from heating up nearly as much. If you don’t turn the fan on, the heat your stove and/or oven give out will quickly make your home warmer. Your air conditioning will have to run longer to remove the added heat and transfer it outside.

Electronics like TVs and computers also give off more heat than most people realize. Shut off your electronics when they are not in use instead of leaving them in standby mode.

Since 2010, the professional team at Ahoy! Cooling & Heating has been providing expert cooling and heating services to homeowners throughout the Tampa area. We offer exceptional HVAC maintenance, repair, and installation services. We also install and service whole-home dehumidifiers and other indoor air quality equipment.

For more information on ways we can help improve your comfort this summer, contact Ahoy! Cooling & Heating today.

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