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How to Cool Your Home for Less

Would you accept a job that demanded 24/7 service, no sleep, no pay, and endless drudgery?

Uh, no.  And yet – inanimate object aside – that’s what you expect of your central air conditioning system. Should it fail to measure up, you’ll get mad and may even direct certain words its way that you wouldn’t use in polite company.

Wow, all that over an air conditioning system?! Tell you what, let’s all take a deep breath, and big step back, and learn how to keep your system running longer with fewer repairs and lower utility costs. That’s the ultimate point, right?

• Clean (or replace) your filter every three to four weeks. That simple act will help conditioned air flow freely, thus causing less system wear and tear while keeping your electricity bill in check.

• Keep weeds and shrubs away from your outside condensing unit.

• During the day, keep sun-facing window treatments closed to lessen the demand on your AC system.

• Consider installing a whole-house attic fan to take some of the load off your AC system. At night, once the outdoor temperature equals or is less than the indoor temp, that’s the time to shut off the AC, open the windows, and let the attic fan do its thing.

• Even if you already have one, consider adding another one or more two-way ceiling fans. During the summer, run the fans counterclockwise so the cooled air blows straight down, thus making more of the cool air generated by your AC system.

• Make added use of your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to remove warm, damp air from your house as quickly as possible.

• During the warm-weather months, do more outdoor than indoor cooking while making fruit and salads a bigger part of your diet. Cooking or baking during the evening hours is a hostile overture to your AC system.

At the same time, never think you’re in this alone. Not with Messmer Mechanical always ready to assist you, starting with annual preventive maintenance – there’s no better way to keep your cooling or heating system in the best possible shape and your energy costs down.  For more information or to request service, contact us today.