Itās summertime and youāre headed out of town. While youāve stopped the mail and held the newspaper, have you determined what to do with your air conditioner? Many people may leave the air conditioning running at full blast, but unless youāre leaving a pet behind, youāre wasting energy – and money – to refrigerate an empty home.
But donāt hit the off switch. When you leave town for a business trip or vacation, be sure to turn your thermostat up (to conserve energy and cut costs), but donāt shut it off completely. With the extreme humidity that the DC area is known for, you donāt want a home without regulated drier air falling victim to moisture and mold that can wreak havoc on your wood furniture, floors, walls, and other belongings. Without some AC running, your home could turn into a virtual oven, baking everything in it!
If you have a programmable thermostat, youāve got a great tool for regulating what you expend ā and spend ā on keeping your home cool. Maintain a higher temp (perhaps 75-78 degrees), on the days that youāre away, and bring it down closer to 70-72 degrees on the day that you expect to return. A programmable thermostat is a solid investment, in that it allows you to regulate the off-peak hours when youāre not home, such as when youāre out of town or simply at work or asleep.
To keep your home cool, utilize blinds and shades to block out the strong summer rays. Run appliances like dishwashers and washing machines in the evening, and keep your energy use to a minimum. Donāt tax your air conditioning unit with dirty filters ā make sure you are changing them regularly. Itās an inexpensive and effective way to maintain an efficient HVAC system.
So before you hit the road, shut the shades, power off the appliances, and crank up your AC unit. And of course, donāt forget your sunscreen!