The arrival of summer and the rise in temperatures make being at home unbearable for many without abusing the air conditioning. However, there is much we can do to achieve some balance and save air conditioning. Do you want to know how?
Reducing the consumption of air conditioning is important both for the environment and for our pocket. There are some keys that we share with you today and that will allow you keep your home cool using the air conditioner only when necessary. Keys like these:
Good insulation
Good insulation is key to saving air conditioning. Air conditioning is of little use if poor insulation of the windows allows outside heat to enter our home and cold air provided by indoor air conditioning to escape.
Investing in well-insulated windows will allow us not only to reduce air conditioning consumption time but also power. Especially when the home is oriented in such a way that the sun shines on it most of the day, it will also be convenient to install solar control glass They reduce the reflection of incoming light and bounce the heat out.
Correct ventilation
We have spoken on more than one occasion about the importance of a correct ventilation of our homes. Thus, while in winter the ideal is to ventilate during the central hours of the day, in summer the ideal is to do it at first thing in the morning or at night to prevent the entry of heat into our home.
After ventilating and before reaching the middle of the day, close the doors of the rooms it is always a great strategy to avoid heat exchange between one and the other. This way, the rooms facing north will stay cool and we will block the passage of heat from those facing south that are overheated to the rest.
Installation of blinds and awnings
In our country, due to the high temperatures we enjoy in summer, it is difficult to imagine a home without blinds. These allow us close our house tight during the central hours of the day, thus helping to keep our home cooler and darker.
Blinds, like awnings and thermal curtains, serve as barrier to light and heat from the sun. If after ventilating first thing in the morning we lower our blinds, the rooms will stay cooler. Did you know that the use of awnings can reduce the temperature of a home by up to 10ºC?
Use of fans
Fans, especially ceiling fans, create a feeling of drop in temperature between 3ºC and 5ºC, with very low electricity consumption. Hence, if the heat in our city is not excessive or we do not spend a lot of time at home and maintain adequate routines, a fan can help us to feel comfortable during the summer and save air conditioning.
Thermostat
When it is necessary to turn on the air conditioning, it is important to do it with your head. Putting it at a lower temperature than normal will not cool the house faster and will cause excessive consumption that will later be reflected in the electricity bill.
According to the Ministry of Industry, a suitable temperature is one that it oscillates between 24º and 26ºC. Each degree you lower the thermostat will cause consumption to increase by 8%. In other words, if you put your thermostat at 26ºC and not at 24ºC, you will save around 16% of your consumption. In addition, in a heat wave or especially hot days, various studies recommend using a simple trick to avoid overdoing the air conditioning: setting the thermostat to the temperature resulting from subtracting 12ºC from the outside temperature.
It goes without saying that in addition to reducing air conditioning hours, buy efficient equipment with an A +++ indicator, it will mean a saving of up to 40%, according to the Energy Consumers Association ANAE.