Environmental Tips for Summer
Written by Inspirational Poems
Summer Poems
( 2 Votes )Even in during the hottest parts of the summer you can still stay comfortable and help the environment at the same time. Take a look at the blackout tips. Summer time is one of the peak times of the year for blackouts. The more you do to help the more you can help prevent a blackout.
Environmental Tips for Summer
- Check your air conditioning units by using a house hold thermometer. If its not cooling to the proper temperature (14 to 20 cooler). Anything lower or higher requires servicing to make your unit more energy efficient.
- Check on elderly people. Elderly people sometimes don't realize how hot it is until it's too late.
- Check on pets. Make sure they have a place that's cool to relax in and plenty of fresh cold water. If you have an outside pet like a dog, make sure they have a dog house to shelter them from the sun.
- Check the caulking / weatherstripping on your house. This keeps cold air from escaping.
- Check the insulation around around the air conditioning ducts, where they pass through unconditioned spaces like the attic, crawl spaces, garage, etc. This prevents the cold air from escaping.
- Clean and replace air filters. This will make your system more efficient and cut down on energy use.
- Cook smaller and lighter meals. This will cut down on energy and water used for cooking. This will also help to keep the heat from cooking to a minimum.
- During the day, close the shades on the south and west side of your house, since these are the sides that get the most sunlight during the day.
- If you don't have an air conditioner, open a window on an upper floor, and put a fan to blow in air from the outside on the lower floor. This will push out the heat.
- If you have a central air unit with a thermostat, make sure to adjust it so that it's not running when people are in the home or at high speed at night when it's cooler.
- If your air conditioner has a thermostat, do not place things that create heat such as a lamp, TV, printer, etc, near it. This will cause the thermostat to turn on the machine when it's not needed.
- If you have a fire place, make sure you have the damper closed tight to prevent cold air loss. (Of course open the damper if you plan to use the fireplace.)
- Insects are prevalent. Keep the kitchen and bathroom clean and dry. Moisture and food crumbs and residues attract insects. Dirt also attracts them. Vacuum the floors and keep them dry too. Pack loose food in air-tight containers if they are not refrigerated. Keep the trash in a container and make sure to empty it often.
- Installing an attic fan will help to keep drawing the warm air out and keep the upper floors of your home cooler. It will also keep the moisture from building in your attic, which prevents mildew and rotting.
- Keep the refrigerator door closed for as long as you can.
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