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I grumble every year when I'm turning mine on LOL. Fans are one way I keep the running costs down. Anyone got more ideas? I get used to my springtime bill and the summer one kills me.
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Fans are one way I keep the running costs down.
I'm with you Savannah.
Many folks believe (incorrectly) that leaving a fan on in the room that you depart will keep it cooler, but it's been my experience that a fan is only good if I'm in the room with it. Otherwise, it's just cooling off the furniture in the room. And those guys don't need cooling down!
I do not have any scientific proof that a fan should be used only when the room is being occupied, so I'm open for criticism on this one folks.
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Fans are one way I keep the running costs down.
I'm with you Savannah.
Many folks believe (incorrectly) that leaving a fan on in the room that you depart will keep it cooler, but it's been my experience that a fan is only good if I'm in the room with it. Otherwise, it's just cooling off the furniture in the room. And those guys don't need cooling down!
I do not have any scientific proof that a fan should be used only when the room is being occupied, so I'm open for criticism on this one folks.
That's interesting, micharch. I always leave them on unless the noise starts to get on my nerves. Other than that, I never turn them off until bedtime. I might have to experiment some then. That would save on the electricity for running them too.
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Changing out your filter really helps. When I first moved to this house my AC was very noisy and seemed to be working hard but not doing much cooling. My neighbor came and looked at it and when he took the filter out it was disgustingly dirty. I don't think the previous owners had ever changed the thing in sixteen years. If I remember right you should do it every three or four months when it's in use.
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Savannah if you're quick and were thinking of getting a service done, there's an Earth Day promotion for a discounted AC service call going on. Look in the Earth Day celebration deals thread for it. :) Mine was also choked with dust and muck inside it as well and ran so much more quietly when he'd cleaned it all out for us.
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This one is for future reference and won't do you any good this year. When you've moved into a home you intend to stay in for many years, it's worth planting trees and shrubs that will shade your property and home in particular. As I said, that's a long term plan.
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You should also plug all those cracks and gaps around doors, windows and pipes you were going to do last winter and didn't. Or perhaps you did and I'm the only procrastinator on that. :D
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You should also plug all those cracks and gaps around doors, windows and pipes you were going to do last winter and didn't. Or perhaps you did and I'm the only procrastinator on that. :D
You're not, cheapncheerful. I got halfway around the house, ran out of that foam stuff that hardens and never got another can. Where I did spray it it has made a big difference. Before you could open my cupboard under the kitchen sink and feel the draught from the hole where the pipes come in. Thanks for reminding me to get that finished.
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You should also plug all those cracks and gaps around doors, windows and pipes you were going to do last winter and didn't. Or perhaps you did and I'm the only procrastinator on that. :D
Remember the attic insulation while you're doing that. It helps both winter and summer energy bills. Home Depot has an Insulation Calculator which tells you what you need depending on location, what kind of heating you have and the size of the area you need to insulate.
Insulation Calculator
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Talking about closing drapes and blinds, anybody tried the heat reflecting drapes with special linings? I priced them before and they were very expensive.
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Talking about closing drapes and blinds, anybody tried the heat reflecting drapes with special linings? I priced them before and they were very expensive.
So did I. They were triple what a normal pair costs. I went for some cheap narrow blinds and heavy drapes in the end because they were a fraction of the price. They do a good job.
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In my old house, before I could afford to get decent curtains for every room I pinned up blankets over the windows to keep the heat out. They worked although they didn't look nice. Those were spare rooms anyway so I didn't have to look at them. I just shut the door LOL.
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If you stay clear of the oven and make the dinner in the crockpot, you'll save by not warming the house up more with the oven's heat.
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I think the only thing the fan is doing is moving the air around, constantly fighting off the heat. So keeping in on when no one is there is actually counterproductive-you wont save energy, but by having it always on you are losing money.
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I think the only thing the fan is doing is moving the air around, constantly fighting off the heat. So keeping in on when no one is there is actually counterproductive-you wont save energy, but by having it always on you are losing money.
Fans don't necessarily cool the room. What they do is make people under them feel cooler with the constant movement of the air. I think I read it's by four degrees. People have to be in the room to appreciate that of course.
If walking into another room even occasionally that has a fan running stops you from turning the AC down from 84 to 80, I'm all for it. Running the fans all the time is still cheaper than running the AC.
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You probably already do this but shut the curtains and blinds for as long as possible. Mine are hardly open in summer. I'd rather pay the price of having a light bulb on than my AC and I'm convinced that's a big saving on the bill.