Is your home uncomfortably warm despite the fact you lowered your HVAC system’s temperature settings? There are several factors that can make your home difficult to cool.
Burch Oil, Southern Maryland’s choice for cooling and heating services, lists these factors in this post.
1. Inadequate Insulation
If your home has inadequate insulation or there are any gaps in the insulation, cool air can easily escape your home, forcing your HVAC system to consume more electricity to keep indoor temperatures. In addition to your walls’ insulation, you should also have your floor and attic’s insulation checked. Attics are often poorly insulated. Without sufficient insulation in your attic, heat might build up in your roof and ceiling space. Overnight, stored heat is released, preventing your home from cooling down. The same goes for your floor: hot air can get trapped beneath the floorboards and slowly raise temperatures.
2. Drafty and Inefficient Windows
Cool air could also be leaking out of or heat from the sun entering your home through the inefficient windows. Don’t underestimate how much energy is lost through windows. According to the Department of Energy, windows account for 25%–30% of residential heating and cooling energy use. Replacing drafty and inefficient windows with more energy-efficient ones can help keep indoor temperatures at a comfortable level and lower your electricity costs.
3. Poorly-Maintained AC
It’s also possible your AC or HVAC system isn’t working efficiently. If the air filters haven’t been replaced in a while, your AC will have to work twice as hard to cool your home. Not to mention pollutants will be circulated around your room, potentially aggravating respiratory conditions. As a rule of thumb, the air filters should be replaced every 90 days (60 days if you keep your pets inside) while your AC should be cleaned and inspected by a professional technician from an AC services company at least once a year.
Looking for HVAC technicians near your area?
Burch Oil, family-owned and -operated company, has been providing professional HVAC services and heating equipment to local residents since 1928. For inquiries, call us at (301) 373-2131 or fill out this form.
