The dog days of summer can make you more sensitive to the effectiveness of your air conditioning unit.   You may notice that some rooms are warmer than others, while others feel too humid, and shouldn’t the house feel more comfortable in comparison to the cost of the cooling bill?

This is also the traditional time of year to take a vacation and leave behind an empty house. What temperature should you set your thermostat while you’re away?  Set the temperature too high and you risk growing mold and mildew and possible damage to wood furniture. Set it too low and you’re needlessly cooling an empty house. What’s the best solution?

A common assumption is that a new air conditioning unit will solve comfort issues, and the Mosby experts do offer experienced recommendations on new models that will perform at the greatest value and energy efficiency.  But before jumping into the purchase of a new AC, it is best to get an overview of the conditions in your home and develop a master plan of what the most effective cooling solutions would be.

Start With an Energy Audit

A home energy audit is the best way to uncover inefficiencies like why your house does not cool evenly as well as determine where you could reduce your home’s energy costs.  The Mosby Building Arts energy auditor is certified with both the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Building Performance Institute to test your home with tools that expose the issues that affect your comfort and your health.  Once the weaknesses are identified, we give you a list of improvement priorities, and work with you on the master plan that will achieve the best results.

Simple Solutions

Sealing the air leaks in your home is the quickest and most reliable way to keep the cool air inside where it belongs.  An energy audit will identify where these weak spots are.

Upgrading to a programmable thermostat will help reduce your energy bills and free you from monitoring indoor temperature.  These digital setback thermostats are programmed to automatically adjust temperature settings according to time of day and are indispensable for those times when you are away from home for long periods of time.

Moisture is the biggest battle in every home, and in the heart of the summer moisture comes in the form of indoor humidity.  If the humidity is too high it will promote mold and mildew growth which can adversely affect your health.  Properly balanced cooling temperatures and a dehumidifier attached to your AC will keep this problem in check.

Old-Fashioned Know-How

How did your grandparents survive summer in the days before central air conditioning?  Their tried-and-true methods for keeping the house cool will work just as well for you today, and include:

● Ceiling fans rotating clockwise
● Shades or blinds drawn down against direct sunlight
● Awnings or deep roof eaves atop windows facing south and west
● Trees and tall shrubs to provide shade on south and west sides
● Roof vents remove accumulated heat from the attic

Mosby Building Arts is the one company with the wisdom, experience and service to take care of all your energy efficiency and comfort needs. We work with you to create a master plan that will take your home into the next 15 years of enhancing the way you live.  Call our office at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

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Related posts:

1. 10 Secrets of Home Energy Savings
2. KMOX – Healthy Homes Are Energy Efficient
3. The Best AC Thermostat Setting for Vacant House
4. See a Mosby Home Energy Audit
5. KMOX – Save Money By Sealing Air Leaks

Learn the Art of Living at CallMosby.com.

Tags: air conditioning, balancing temperature, ceiling fans, dehumidifier, home energy audit, indoor humidity, programmable thermostat, sealing air leaks

This entry was posted on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 7:25 am and is filed under energy efficiency. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.