It is estimated that two-thirds of homes in the US have air conditioning and that the combined approximate cost to power them tops $11 billion. Therefore, it is financially wise to do everything we can to keep air conditioning costs down.
In Florida’s intense summer heat and humidity, indoor/outdoor ventilation (window fan, etc) does little good. Since there is not that much difference in day and night temperature, there is no time for the interior space in your home to cool down naturally overnight.
Tips for inside your home
Make sure that your attic is vented. Even with insulation, heat will eventually migrate down into the home if there is nowhere for it to escape. Think about these options to help keep your home cooler:
- Vent your laundry room. You do not want the moist air from washing and drying clothes to remain indoors, as it will be another load for your HVAC system.
- Use heat-protective window treatments. These will not only keep out sunlight, but also the radiated heat from the outdoors.
- If possible, find air leaks around doors and windows and seal them with caulk or some weather stripping.
- Summer is a great time to grill out, rather than heat up your kitchen with the oven!
- Ceiling or floor fans are a good idea and can allow you to set your thermostat up to four degrees lower than normal. Fans do not cool the air: they make people feel cooler due to air movement.
New home construction
If you are getting ready to build a new home, there are many things you can do to make your home more energy efficient during the design process.
Choose to orient your main windows to the north and south. You can receive almost three times more solar heat gain from west and east facing windows. Try to shade east and west walls with landscaping, an important part of design.
Also, roofing and siding colors can help a great deal to prevent heat buildup. Dark colors absorb heat, while light colors reflect it.
For help with keeping your home cool, please feel free to call our team of HVAC professionals. In Port St. Lucie, call (772) 398-0023 and call (772) 220-1496 in Martin County. We will be glad to answer any of your questions.
