When the weather starts to get hot outside, most homeowners rely on their air conditioning unit to keep them comfortable. Unfortunately, air conditioners tend to utilize a lot of energy which means higher utility bills for you. One way you may try to reduce your utility bills is to turn your air conditioner off during the overnight hours and open your windows to let the cold breeze in.
Various Benefits of Opening Your Windows at Night
The biggest benefit of opening your windows during the overnight hours is that you can stay cool while your air conditioning system is off. When your air conditioning system isn’t running, you’re saving much-needed money on your energy bills. Since most people sleep at least eight hours each night, that’s at least a third of the day that you do not have to worry about paying to run your air conditioning system. In addition, when you air conditioner is off, you are extending its lifespan.
It’s been shown time and time again that opening the windows to allow fresh air into the bedroom can help promote better sleep. Additionally, when your windows are open, you’re allowing white noise to seep in. This white noise can allow you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than just being in a completely silent room.
Another great advantage of opening your windows during the overnight hours is that you allow fresh oxygen to come in and carbon dioxide to be removed. If you’ve ever slept in a stuffy room overnight, you’ve likely noticed the effects of too much carbon dioxide in a room. This can lead to headaches, fatigue, and other symptoms that can disturb your sleep.
Drawbacks to Open Windows During the Overnight Hours
Unfortunately, the summertime can bring on some nasty allergy flare-ups for those who have moderate to severe allergies. When you open your windows at night, you’re allowing potential allergens to come into your home. These allergens, like pollen, can cause you or your family member that has allergies to have a flare-up during the overnight hours. When you sleep with just your air conditioning system on and your windows closed, the air conditioner helps to filter out any allergens that are in your home.
Whenever those humid days roll around, it’s never a good idea to open your windows during the evening. When you do so, you’ll allow that humid air to come into your home. This humid air will make your body feel sweaty and clammy, which will make it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Additionally, whenever you wake up in the morning and turn your air conditioning system on, it will have to run longer to help remove humidity in the air. You may even find yourself turning the temperature setting down on your air conditioning system because the humidity makes it feel much hotter in your home than it is.
Other Ways to Reduce Energy Costs During the Summer Months
Opening your windows and turning your air conditioning system off at night is not the only way to help reduce your energy bills during the hot summer months. One of the best strategies to implement is to install a smart thermostat in your home. These smart thermostats will automatically learn your desired temperature settings and schedule so that they can make detailed setting solutions that can reduce the energy costs of your air conditioner. For example, your smart thermostat can turn to eco mode whenever it senses that you’re no longer at home. This will prevent your air conditioning system from turning on unless the temperature gets dangerously high inside of your home.
Another great way to help reduce how long your air conditioning system runs is to block out the sun during much of the daytime hours. Any rooms that have sunlight directly coming into them should have a blind installed so that you can shut it to keep that sunlight out. Many homeowners are surprised to find out that having direct sunlight coming into their windows can heat a room up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit or more. If you let that direct sunlight, come into your home, your air conditioning system will have to continuously try to help combat the increase in temperature.
One strategic way to help keep your energy bills to a minimum is to do your cooking outdoors. There are many outdoor cooking options, with the most popular being to grill. When you do all your cooking outside, your air conditioning system doesn’t have to combat the heat produced by your stove. If you don’t want to grill, you can opt for cold-cut sandwiches and fruits. Keeping any unnecessary heat out of your kitchen will help you keep your energy bill low, Furthermore, you will get spend time with your family outdoors.
Is It Time to Invest in a New Air Conditioning System?
While it’s true that the methods above can help to reduce your energy bills during the summertime, there’s another great option to help you achieve a significant reduction in your bills. This option is to upgrade your outdated air conditioning system. While this option may come with a high up-front cost, you can easily recoup those costs during its first year of operation and enjoy energy savings for many years to come.
It’s time for an air conditioning system upgrade if you’re currently experiencing any of the issues below:
- Your AC system is over 10 years old
- Your home never reaches a comfortable temperature
- Odd smells and unusual running noises
- You’re paying for constant repair bills
- Constantly climbing utility bills
When you make the decision to upgrade your air conditioning system, you can enjoy a more energy-efficient option. Many homeowners are surprised to discover that newer air conditioning systems operate very quietly and allow their homes to achieve a very comfortable temperature. The best part of purchasing a new air conditioning system for your home is that it comes with a new warranty. This will help to give you peace of mind that you won’t have to pay out-of-pocket for unexpected repair bills for many years to come.
Top-Quality Air Conditioning Services
Affordable Air & Heating has served the Santa Carita, CA area for more than 20 years and offers top-quality air conditioning services. We can also assist with all your heating and indoor air quality needs.
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