How to Set Your Thermostat During a Heatwave
This June was the hottest June on record, and those records go back 174 years. High temperatures keep breaking records, and we can only expect this to continue.
Since heatwaves are becoming more and more common, it’s important to know how to set your thermostat for them, and how to get the most from your AC. We’ve got some great tips to help you cope with the heat for the rest of the summer.
Your Thermostat
The first thing to know is that even the best air conditioner in the world can only be expected to keep your home about twenty degrees cooler than the outdoor temperature. So if it’s 98 degrees out there, setting your thermostat to 70 is only going to strain the system, potentially doing damage to the compressor as it struggles to run without stopping. Try setting the thermostat to 78 degrees instead. Our other tips might make it so that the higher-than-usual thermostat setting actually feels plenty cool.
Your Fan
On the thermostat, there may be three settings for the fan: off, on, and auto. While the automatic setting is generally a good choice, turning the fan to stay on at all times can help to circulate the cool air more effectively during periods when the temperature is particularly high.
Ceiling Fans
During the summer, your ceiling fans should be set to rotate counterclockwise. While there’s no reason to run them in an empty room, turning them on when people are present can make a huge difference. If the air is even a few degrees cooler than your body’s temperature, every air molecule that brushes up against your skin will carry some of your heat away with it. When the air is moving, thanks to your ceiling fan, more molecules pass by and more heat is carried away. This can make it so that a 78-degree thermostat setting feels much cooler than it would in a room with no breeze.
Avoid Sun on Windows
When the sun hits your glass windows it creates heat, which is ideal if you’re trying to grow plants in a greenhouse in cold weather. It’s not ideal in a Texas heatwave. Notice where the sun hits your windows at different times of day, and use curtains or blinds to prevent the greenhouse effect from heating up your home. Your home will stay cooler, and your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard.
Get Prompt AC Repair
If you hear a strange sound coming from your air conditioner, if the airflow from your vents is lacking, if the compressor is starting cooling cycles and stopping immediately only to start again a moment later, or if anything else seems unusual or worrisome, don’t ignore it. Getting prompt air conditioning repair in Denton, TX could mean the difference between a quick repair to a working AC unit and an unbearable wait in terrible heat for an extensive, expensive repair to an air conditioner that has totally broken down. Don’t let that happen to you!
Contact PRK Services, Inc. today for all your cooling and comfort needs.
