How to Keep the Temperature in Your House within Pleasant Boundaries in the Summer
December 3, 2009
In summer, does it happen to you that you have to go to your icebox several times every day? Is the temperature in your house so unpleasantly high that the only place you want to be is Iceland? Millions of homeowners in Toronto and elsewhere are impacted by this problem each summer. Before the next hot summer arrives, let’s go through a few ideas on how to get ready for it.
The easiest option: Air-conditioners
The internal temperature of our houses can be reduced by several ways, let’s take a brief look at them. The most effective, but most costly, is the conventional air-conditioner. If you think this is the way to go for you, we can give you some practical tips to make sure you get the best value possible from your AC unit. Firstly, make sure you have the correct size unit for your house or apartment. For a common house with two bedrooms, a 5,000 btu AC is usually enough. Ideally, the unit should be placed in a window on the wall that faces north, if that is possible. This will keep the unit cooler and running more efficiently. Clean the internal filters at least once a month to prevent house dust from building up and having a bad effect on its performance. If you plan on leaving your house for more than one hour, then it is more economical to switch your AC off and to re-cool the space when you come back.
Possibilities for green-thinking people
What if you are environmentally aware and are against the use of these power-hungry machines? Well, your house can become cooler even if you don’t want to waste the fossil fuels releasing CO2 and contribute to global warming. We will start with the top of your house and work downwards step by step.
Roof
As you might already know, the amount of heat transferred depends on the type of material it goes through. This is particularly true of roofing covers such as tiles or shingles. If you want to save on air-conditioning, think about applying a good-quality insulation to your attic space. A 12-inch layer instead of a 3-inch might decrease the cooling costs by as much as 10 percent.
To read the rest of the story, please read the Keeping your Toronto home cool article.
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