Adelaide’s blistering summers demand a proactive approach to protect homes from extreme heat. Adequate insulation and annual ducted air conditioner servicing are essential for comfort and efficiency. Here are four easy ways to “summer-proof” your home, thereby reducing energy bills, becoming more sustainable, and maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.
Seal your home
Have a good look around your home at all the window seals, checking to make sure they aren’t damaged, broken or cracked. Get these repaired if needed as it’s a simple, low cost way to keep cool air from escaping your home.
Sealing gaps around all your doors and windows can also make your home feel cooler and significantly reduce your energy bills.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check your refrigerator seals to make sure they’re all in good order. Replace any damaged or worn out seals so that your refrigerator can continue to work efficiently over many years.
Curtains
The type of curtains you have in your home makes a big difference in keeping your home cool. Opt for curtains that can be pulled shut in order to block out direct sunlight. Curtains with a white, blockout lining are the best options as they reflect sunlight away from your home.
If you prefer blinds, opt for honeycomb-style blinds. When heat enters your home through the windows, the ‘honeycomb cells’ of these blinds will trap the heat between the blinds and glass, preventing heat from transferring into the room.
Windows
Another way to deflect the sun from entering your home is to replace your old, thin windows with tinted and/or double-glazed glass. This can be a costly exercise, however, it does reap significant long term benefits.
Applying appropriate window film to your existing windows is another, much cheaper option. This can go a long way to reflect the sun’s heat.
Get your air conditioner serviced
Think of your air conditioner as a car that needs regular servicing in order to work at its best. Without regular maintenance, an air conditioner loses about 5% of its original efficiency every year of use. So, if you’ve had your current air conditioner for 5 years and have never had it serviced, it’s most likely now running at only 75% of its original efficiency. By getting your air conditioner serviced regularly by a professional, you can maintain up to 95% of its original efficiency.
In between servicing, be sure to buy good filters and change them regularly so that air continues to flow easily. It’s also a good idea to have a good look at the outside unit of your air conditioner every now and then, just in case anything needs attention. Keeping trees and bushes clear of the outdoor unit will prevent restricted airflow into your house, so make sure that these are pruned back at all times.
Lastly, if you have ducted air conditioning, be sure to keep all the supply outlets open as closing them can be harmful to the operation of the overall system.
With your home completely summer-proofed, you can now sit back and relax in air conditioned comfort knowing that the cool air that you are paying good money for isn’t going to waste. If you live in South Australia, Glow can help to turn your home into an oasis of cool in the middle of summer. We supply and install the most energy efficient air conditioning units available today, and we also service or repair most air conditioner brands and models. Get in touch with our friendly team today before the next heat wave!
