What Should I Do to Prepare My Home for the Summer?

What Should I Do to Prepare My Home for the Summer?

How to Prepare Your Home for the Hot Summer Months Ahead

Summertime Can Mean Higher Energy Bills

If you ever use your AC unit any time of the year, it will probably be during the summertime. You’re almost guaranteed to use your air-conditioning unit every summer because most summers can be sweltering reaching temperatures of 90° or higher.

Some areas across the United States have seen temperatures rise to 90° for days or even weeks at a time. With temperatures getting so high in the summer, why wouldn’t you be running your AC unit? In the summer, you may have higher energy bills from AC usage, but this isn’t necessarily going to be the case for every household. If two different households run their AC units for the same amount of time each day, one family may pay less on their energy bill than the other.

The reason why two different households can have different energy costs using their AC units the same amount of time is because of the AC unit they may have installed. Those that prepare for the summer or any hot months that they may experience in their area are most likely going to purchase an AC unit that saves energy but still cools as it needs to.

Anyone who is using an older or outdated AC unit may want to reconsider using it at all, and should think about purchasing a different unit that’s more energy-efficient. Those that get a more energy-efficient AC unit will have lower energy bills and cooler homes in the summertime.

install-ceiling-fansGet Your Home and Your AC Unit Ready

Preparing for the summer doesn’t just mean buying swimsuits and light clothing as well as getting a new pool. Your home should be fully prepared for the heat, which means it needs to be weatherproofed.

If you didn’t take the time to weatherproof your home in the winter, then summer is an ideal time to do it. Many people can stand the cold because they can wrap up with a warm blanket to stay warm and even turn on a small space heater to warm up a single room.

Those who have to stay around the house in the summertime can really suffer from the heat, and even walking around in lightweight clothing doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to stay cool in the house. The AC should be ready to cool the entire home, but having a home that is not weatherproofed can mean that running the AC still won’t be effective. When you know summer is coming, you have to get your home and your AC unit ready.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Does your home have drafts?
  • Do you need weather stripping in the home?
  • Has your AC unit been maintained recently?
  • Does your AC function properly?
  • Is your AC unit taking up too much energy?

Drafts in the Home– If there are drafts in your home, then you’re losing cold air through these drafts and wasting energy when you’re running the AC unit. Get these drafts taken care of by sealing up cracks and spaces with caulk as well as adding weather stripping to windows and doors that allow drafts to come through them.

Weather Stripping– It’s great to have weather stripping in the home because it can last for years, even if they are simply made of foam. There are many kinds of weather strip options available, so take your pick, but make sure it can do the job that it needs to do to keep drafts out of your home.

air-vent-cleaning_480AC Maintenance– If you did maintenance on your AC unit before the summer, then each time summer begins to come back around, you’ll need to do maintenance again.

Your AC unit should be looked at every single year, and you should never compromise on this schedule.

AC Function– You always need to make sure your AC unit is working, including the thermostat, the AC unit itself and the central air that it’s connected to.

If your AC isn’t functioning properly, then get an HVAC specialist to repair it, and consider a replacement unit if necessary.

Energy Consumption– Those that have an AC unit that’s gobbling up all their energy need to get a high-efficiency air conditioner because they can save a lot more energy and see lower energy bills.

A high-efficiency air conditioner may be Energy Star labeled, but whoever is selling the air-conditioning unit can tell you exactly how much you might save if you purchase that particular unit.

cleaning-the-outdoor-AC-unit-4It’s All About Maintenance

Maintain your AC unit, especially since breakdowns on the unit can happen at any moment. It would be the worst if you’re trying to turn on your AC unit on a scorching day and it doesn’t work.

You may call an HVAC specialist to fix your unit, but it’s likely that they’ll be busy and won’t be able to come out right away, which means you’ll have to suffer in the heat or may even have to stay somewhere else that has air conditioning until yours is functioning.

Maintain your AC unit as necessary, and you can have it working properly for years. Those that do regular maintenance on their AC unit may see that it lasts for 10, 15, or even 20 years.

Have You Called an HVAC Specialist Yet?

Before the heat comes in, call your HVAC specialist. Make sure they do maintenance as well as repairs on your unit if it needs it. If you’ve done maintenance in the last year, then you should be good to go, but make sure that the thermostat, as well as other parts that make the air conditioner function properly, are all working right.

An HVAC specialist is the person to call when you need your AC unit working right for the summer, so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call an HVAC specialist today.

Maintain your AC unit by calling The Plumbing Works in Reading, PA at (610) 929-8860 for repairs and maintenance.