There's a Heat Wave Coming!

This weekend is supposed to be rediculously HOT! Here are some summer tips from the California Science Center to help make that weekend more berable!

Source: http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/GenInfo/NewsAndEvents/CAlifestyleTips/EnergyConservation/WarmConserve.php last access 9/17/09.

"Fast and Free Cutting back unnecessary energy use is an easy way to reduce energy consumption while saving money. Here are some suggestions you can do at home, at absolutely no cost to you.

Use your appliances wisely. To help prevent electricity outages, avoid running your appliances during peak hours—from 4p.m. to 6 p.m.—or anytime an electricity emergency is declared. Do your laundry efficiently by using the warm or cold water setting for washing your clothes. Always use cold water to rinse clothes. (Savings: 4%). Line dry clothes whenever you can. (Save up to 5%) When you need to use the dryer, run full loads, use the moisture-sensing setting, and clean the clothes dryer lint trap after each use. (Savings: 0.5%) Conserve energy by running your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded, and turn off the dry cycle and air dry dishes instead. (Savings: 1%) Inexpensive Energy Solutions Make a quick trip to your local hardware store to purchase inexpensive energy saving tools and equipment. Replace air conditioner filters. Dirty filters restrict airflow and can cause the system to run longer, increasing energy use. Replace filters monthly for maximum benefit. (Savings: 1-2%) Good Energy-Saving Investments Planning to do some remodeling soon? Time to replace old appliances? Consider these energy efficiency suggestions when you make purchases. Install a whole house fan. A whole house fan is permanently installed in your attic and draws cool air into your home through the windows while forcing hot air out through your attic vents. Use after sundown when the outside temperature drops below 80 degrees, and in the early morning to cool your house and help reduce your air conditioning use. (Savings: up to 5%)"

Keep Your Attic Cool

One of the easiest ways for your home to get really hot is to let air from the outside get into your home. Why would you let hot, summer air into your nice, cool, air conditioned home? Well it's not always on purpose...or things that you would automatically think of. Things to be aware of: * If you keep your garage door open - you are letting your home get hotter than it needs to be. Most garages, especially those built a while ago are not properly "sealed." Depending on the age, some of them might not even be insulated. This is a problem, because of course it's going to be very hot in the garage and once you let that heat in, it's adding to the heat inside your home - making your house harder to cool off. * Your attic can be very hot. That hot air can make your home considerably warmer. How can we solve this? One way is to make sure that there is air moving through the attic. (If air is stagnant it in effect bakes and becomes hotter, if air is moving it doesn't get AS hot - it's still important to have insulation though.) Source: http://www.askthebuilder.com/B236_Ventilation_-_Keeping_Home_Attic_Cool_Naturally.shtml

"If you air condition your home, the last thing you want is air conditioned air finding its way into your attic and out the vents! This is why powered attic ventilation can be harmful to your pocketbook."

Your unit has to work much harder to cool a home that has been baking in the sun all day. It is much easier to keep your home cool if it stays that way. The longer your unit is on, the more money it is going to cost on your energy bills. If you can keep the air on for shorter periods of time, you will save money. Better yet, if you can use the programmable thermostat, you can save up to $180 a year.

Attic Heat

When it's this hot outside - the first place heat is getting trapped is your attic. Once it's in the attic, it's very easy to get into your home. So even if you're running your AC, it still may not be as cool as you would like it to be.

Hot air gets trapped in your attic, especially if there isn't a mechanism to move the air around (like an attic fan). The trapped air keeps getting warmer and warmer, and then scientifically heat transfers from warmer to cooler. So if the house is being cooled, the hot air from the attic is going to move to livable space. This is a very common problem, and there are some quick and easy fixes. Upgrades to consider:

1. Buy a reflective coating for your roof. (usually this is marketed for mobile homes, but it does help any roof). Make sure that you follow the instructions on the can and only use where directed by the instructions.
2. Another option is installing a radient barrier inside your attic. This is especially important for homes with a higher pitched roof. Sold at hardware or other improvement stores the barrier is a type of silver 'blanket' (for lack of a better word) that gets stapled to the inside of the roof (on the attic side) to prevent heat from entering. It's similar to those reflective cardboard thingies used in car windows to prevent the stearing wheel from getting too hot. Same Idea. Keep the heat out, and you'll have to cool it less.
3. More on the expensive side is adding a fan. There are several different types. The main two are an attic fan and a whole house fan. An attic fan is a small fan that moves air from the attic and increases circulation. This prevents the "baking" of air and cools the space which then helps the home stay cool. The whole house fan (is exactly how it sounds) which circulates air throughout the whole house, but can be loud and distracting.

If these upgrades seem like too much, you may want to consider adding more insulation to walls and especially in the attic. The less air that leaks, the cooler the air processed by your air conditioner can get. Things to think about...

Hot Enough For Ya?

Let me say it now: Enjoy the temperature for the rest of the day. Why? Brace yourselves. Because this weekend it's only going to get hotter!

Source: http://www.usairnet.com/weather/forecast/local/?pands=91723&Submit=Go&daysonly=2&maxdays=7 Last access 7/10/09 - I plugged in the address of the shop to see what the bad news was.
So, bear with me as I offer some suggestions:

1. Crank up the AC (it hurts less when it's efficient/new and kind to the wallet) and stay INDOORS! If you have a room AC close off the one room so that the one space gets as cool as it possibly can (when I was little we thumb tacked a bed sheet to the door jamb and that did the trick).
2. If you don't have AC, or it's not working correctly - find cooler ground. That means venture towards the coast in hopes of catching a breeze.
3. Use fans - there are some interesting techniques of how to use ice water, an aquarium pump and some tubing to make your own air conditioner - so if you're crafty you might give it a go. If not - BE CAREFUL and please remember that water & electricity aren't friendly together. http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-air-conditioner/
4. Don't make the house hot - if that means BBQ, so be it. Avoid using the stove, the oven, the dryer, the hairdryer, the dishwasher...you know ANYTHING that uses hot water. It will just add to the indoor condensation of the house and you will feel more humidity - and therefore more HOT!
5. Use cold water where necessary. (lol) Studies have shown that if you run cold water over your pulse points it can make you feel cooler.

Those are the basics - enjoy your perfect summer weekend. Enjoy the heat, or staying out of it depending on your disposition. Best of Luck. Oh, and if you are planning on calling for an air conditioning service call don't wait until the last minute...We are busy this time of year, and want to get out to you before you're all melted on the couch.

Use the Summer Heat for Cool

Okay, so believe it or not, there are some things that you can do to lower your energy bills during the summer, but also stay cool.

Source: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2009/06/26/15225152/index.xml Here are some great tips from the daily-chronicle.com:

2. Air-dry your laundry Home appliances are a major factor in the energy consumption of homes, but summer weather gives you an opportunity to use them less. After you finish washing a load of laundry, take it outside instead of dropping it in the dryer. Hot summer air can dry your clothes just as well as an electric appliance. 3. Grill out It’ll be hard not to turn up the air conditioning if you cook on the stove during the summer. Luckily, summer is grilling season and you can avoid filling your house with excess heat. Grill outside and enjoy the day as the heat morphs into a mild evening. 4. Upgrade and weatherproof If you don’t feel like you’re getting the most out of your air conditioning, it might be time to make some investments in your home. Some modifications are as simple as changing your AC unit’s air filters. A slightly more expensive but worthwhile investment is to weather strip your home so that cold air (and heat in the winter) is not escaping through the cracks. 6. Make use of fans A ceiling fan will cool the room by circulating air, but it will use considerably less energy than air conditioning. A whole-house fan is a worthwhile investment that uses a fraction of the energy used by a central air conditioner. 7. Properly shade your home Sunlight will warm your home and make your air conditioning work harder. But awnings, blinds and reflective films on windows will reduce the effect of the sun on indoor temperature. If you have an AC wall unit, it will run better if it’s shaded.

((please note, the numbers aren't in sequential order (some are missing) because the complete list of 10 is featured on their website. If you would like to see the entire list, please visit them directly. I have just pulled out the HVAC/energy-related tips.))

Heat Wave!

(California temperature forecast from air sports net weather 6/29/09).

It's HOT!

Many news agencies are covering the heat wave hitting southern California!

This is only June and we are seeing record breaking temperatures more familiar in August or September at the peak of summer. The heat is only going to get worse. According to the National Weather Association, this year is going to be 30-50 degrees hotter than normal. That means that if you don't have air conditioning, or it's not working - you need to figure out how you're going to wait out the summer. Related Stories: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/21/national/main4200320.shtml http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/19/southern-california-heat_n_108146.html Don't sweat out the summer - Air conditioning units are now more efficient and cost less than ever. Don't miss the opportunity to customize your home comfort because you think you can't afford it. You will need air conditioning this year, especially for pets, young children, those who are ill and older adults. Call today for a FREE estimate!

Hot Hot Hot!

It’s going to be hot!

This summer is going to be hot! Back in February when the weather was crazy this year, I started looking into the National Weather Association’s predictions for what the summer was going to be like.

The National Weather Association puts out national maps for three month periods showing probable climate patterns for different areas. The three-month map of June, July and August that I looked at back in February said that this summer was going to be 30-40 degrees hotter than usual. Now – I looked again today…and there is a big ugly 50 on the screen. This means, that as summer approaches – the predicted temperatures are getting higher. This summer is going to be 33-50 degrees hotter than normal. Now! Is the time to get that AC serviced – or if you don’t have one – to think about getting one.

Check it out for yourself: http://www.weather.gov/climate/l3mto.php

EPA summer cool tips

Source: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/12442b82bfbd8047852575b4005722bd!OpenDocument press release from the EPA, last access 6/16/09. So, according to the EPA, there are some simple, and energy effective things that you can do fairly easily when the weather gets hot to help make your space feel a bit cooler. Some of these things I find myself saying over and over...but really, they do help. You should try them. The science and math has backed them up. For example, reverse the spin on your ceiling fans. The Science: humidity is what makes us feel "really" hot - running a fan breaks up that humidity, so we feel cooler. The energy savings - if you feel cooler, you can bear cranking the thermostat up from 60 degrees (which is not cost effective at all...). Here are some more tips:

• Inspect your duct system for obvious signs of leaks and disconnections (most houses leak 20 percent or more). Seal any leaks with foil tape or a special sealant called “duct mastic.” Also consider insulating ducts in unconditioned areas (like the attic, basement or crawlspace).
• Seal air leaks around your home to keep the heat out and the cool air in. The biggest air leaks are usually found in the attic or basement, but also come in around doors, windows, vents, pipes and electrical outlets. Use caulk, spray foam or weather stripping to seal the leaks. And add more insulation to keep your home cooler this summer.
• Maintain your cooling system. Check your system’s air filter every month at a minimum and change the filter every 3 months. Remove leaves, dirt and other debris from around the outdoor components to improve air flow and efficiency. Have a qualified professional tune-up your system with a pre-season maintenance checkup and, if it’s time to replace your old system, look for models that have earned EPA’s Energy Star.
• Turn off office lights and equipment when not in use so they don’t generate unnecessary heat.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs in your desk lamp with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs which use two-thirds less energy and generate less heat than conventional bulbs.

These are some great ideas to help you save energy at home, and really, they're simple to do - so at this point, you really don't have an excuse! Good luck keeping cool. The weather has been ALL over the place this year, and I would hate to have no air during a massive heat wave...start getting prepared for that record-breaking summer heat.

Ads & Specials

Check out our newly updated Ads & Specials page! Summer is coming whether you are ready or not - and this year is going to be hotter than ever! Knowing this, we want to make sure that our customers are comfortable and saving money. Here are some suggestions on how you can stay cool this summer:

• Upgrade to a newer, more efficient Air Conditioning Unit - save money on your energy bills and be eligible for a $1,500 tax credit! Check out the discounted prices on our ads & specials page and save!

http://www.sinclairair.com/ads__specials.html

(if upgrading isn't in the budget, here are some low-cost tips to stay cool:)

• Use your blinds/curtains. Keep them closed during the day (to block the heat)
• Turn the air on early (before it gets hot).
• Use fans to decrease the humidity in your home.
• Keep your garage door closed.
• Use your programmable thermostat (it takes less energy to maintain a temperature than to try and actually get your house cooled to 60 degrees)

But seriously, check out our website. I try to update it's content constantly so there are always new terms or suggestions on air conditioning and heating. There is also a bunch of fun content to play with.

"Giant List of Summer Cool"

Turning on a switch and letting the air conditioning kick on at 9 am in the morning is easy, but staying cool without air conditioning? Hard. Here is Lighter Footstep.com's "Giant List of Summer Cooling Tips".

Source: http://lighterfootstep.com/2007/05/a-giant-list-of-summer-cooling-tips/ last access 5/11/09. Their Giant List of Summer Cooling Tips is broken down into general tips, small things you can do to improve the temperature, and then even to larger things that can be done to improve your home comfort. I am not going to paste the entire version of their giant list - because their website is generally cool and loaded with interesting/fun/useful "green" tips that you should check out for yourself.

Instead, I'm going to give some tips that I find interesting/useful and not repetitive to share with you from their selections. Like really, keep your blinds closed - that's a repeat.

In their general tips section, Ligherfootstep.com recommends:

• Wash and dry clothes when the day is cool. Do laundry early in the day and late at night. Don’t forget clotheslines: they generate no heat in the house.
• Skip your dishwasher’s dry cycle. Rack your dishes and let them air dry, instead.
• Open the bathroom window when showering. Vent heat and humidity outside, rather than back into the house. Obviously, you don’t want to put on a show for the neighbors. If you have privacy concerns, open up after dressing. Keep the bathroom door closed.

In their "small projects" section, they recommend:

• Buy a dehumidifier. ENERGY STAR says a 40-pint unit will save up to $20 USD a year and last up to a decade. Moderating your home’s humidity — in addition to making you feel cooler — will reduce musty smells and the growth of harmful molds.
• Shade your air conditioner. If your a/c is in full sun, it’s working harder than it needs to. Don’t obstruct the air flow.
• Have your air conditioner serviced. Coolant levels should be checked every year. A professional will also clean and lubricate the system. Without annual service, your air conditioner will lose about 5% efficiency each year — more if the coolant is low. Use Puron or some other non-CFC coolant, rather than environmentally harmful freon.

The last section is titled "the Big Stuff" and outlines larger, more comprehensive home improvement projects that will help to keep your home comfortable.

• Upgrade older air conditioners. Another expensive item, but cooling can account for half of your summer energy bill. You’re looking for a unit with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration (SEER) of 13 or more. The best deals are obviously found off-season, but this is one investment which will immediately return savings.
• Plant deciduous trees on the west side of your home. You’re looking for fast-growing shade trees to keep the hottest part of your house cool during the summer months. They’ll lose their leaves each autumn, letting sunshine through once it turns cool. Opt for lightweight trees in areas prone to hurricanes and winter ice storms.
• Replace gas appliances with efficient electric units. Pilot light contribute to indoor heating, and electric prices are generally more stable than natural gas.

Hopefully these tips will help you keep your home comfortable during the heat of the summer. Of course, using your air conditioning unit isn't bad, just try and make sure that it's not working harder than it needs to.

Dehumidification

A large part of how cool you feel in an air conditioned space during summer is how much humidity has been taken out of the air.

If there is moisture in the air of a room, the room may feel cooler than outside, but it can feel damp or claustrophobic. This is part of the reason that swamp coolers do better in different areas of the country. Newer air conditioning units allow more humidification during the summer to ensure that your home stays comfortable and cool, without making the air feel too "heavy."

If there is a respiratory problem in the home, additional specialty units can be used in conjunction with the original home heating and cooling system. These include, air cleaners, humidifiers and even ventilators. These specialty units allow for a higher circulation of air, even in a tightly sealed home.
Likewise, homeowners in some areas of the country (with high humidity) might consider an additional add on to their unit. A dehumidifying heat pipe is a fairly new development that will take humidity out of the air, before it enters the cooling phase, making your home considerably cooler during the hot summer.

Source: US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy "Energy Savers" page, regarding the home. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12740

A dehumidifying heat pipe resembles two heat exchangers, located on either side of the air conditioner's evaporator coil. Several tubes connect the two sections. A refrigerant (usually an HCFC) inside the tubes pre-cools the incoming supply air by absorbing the heat from it. This causes the refrigerant in the tube to evaporate. The air conditioner evaporator cools it further, extracting up to 91% more water vapor than a conventional evaporator would. After the refrigerant in the tubes changes into a vapor, it flows to the condensing section at the other end of the system. There, it releases its heat into the air stream and returns to its liquid state again. Gravity then causes the refrigerant to flow to the evaporator end of the pipe to begin the cycle again.

Most models of heat pumps and central air conditioners can be retrofitted with dehumidifying heat pipes. You can choose either a replacement cooling coil that incorporates the heat pipe, or add-on heat pipes for the unit's ventilation system. You may also want to consider a complete air-conditioner unit that incorporates the heat pipe.

Although the heat pipes don't use any electricity directly, they cause the conditioned air to leave the system slightly warmer than it would have in the absence of the heat pipe, so it takes more energy to cool your home. The system also consumes more fan power to blow air past the heat pipe. However, the manufacturer claims that your thermostat can be set higher with the low humidity air, allowing a net energy savings.

If humidity is an issue in your home, there are several different things you can try to resolve the problem. Using extra fans to push air around the rooms will help to alleviate some of the humidity. Running them in conjunction wiht an air conditioner may also be helpful. Avoid cooking or hot showers that may add to the amount of moisture in your home during peak heat hours. Finally, consider upgrading your air conditioning unit and possibly adding on a humidifying or ventilating option. If that still fails, a dehumidifying heat pipe may be the answer. Although in Southern California, this issue shouldn't be that difficult to fix.

Beat The Heat!

Today's posting is inspired by and quoted within: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,218939,00.html

Beat the heat! According to THIS OLD HOUSE (as posted on thisoldhouse.com), it is possible to stay cool and only spend around $25!

Interested? Thinking it's too good to be true? Well, as for myself, these fixes are pretty easy and also pretty cheap.

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10 Ways to Beat the Heat By David Dobbs

"No, it's not your imagination—it definitely is getting hotter. The eight warmest years on record occurred over the past decade. But staying cool this summer doesn't necessarily mean you have to pay a fortune to keep the air-conditioning running day and night. Here are 10 tips—most costing less than $25—that will keep you comfortable and cut the typical $1,000 cooling bill by as much as half. What's needed to get the temperature to drop? Only a little time and a few changes in your routine."

What does he recommend first? Easy - changing the setting on your thermostat. Homeowners who can bear to set their central air conditioning to 78 degrees save on cooling.

Second - Use a fan. I told you all this was a good idea. According to Dobbs,

"A fan, which costs two to five cents per hour to operate, will make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. Also, a fan works well in tandem with an air conditioner because the dehumidifying action of the air conditioner provides drier air that the fan can then move around."

Third - Use your environment:

"At night when the temperature drops, open windows and bring in cool air with window fans or a whole-house fan. As soon as the sun comes up or the air starts to heat up, shut the windows and shades and keep doors closed."

Fourth- BLOCK THE SUN - use shades, drapes, awnings...etc. Even trees.

Fifth - Install a programmable thermostat - OR make use of the one you already have. If you have a programmable thermostat, but are using it like a manual (turning it off and on whenever you want) you aren't saving any money. One of the biggest benefits for the programmable thermostat is that you can set it to any temperature. So if you aren't home from 8-5 you can run your air conditioning programmed at 80-85 degrees. Then, at 5, you can have the temperature crank up to 78 or 75, so that when you walk in the door at 5:30 your home is comfortable. Believe it or not it takes less energy to maintain a cool temperature than to cool down your home after it's been soaking up the heat all day. It can reach temperatures in the high 100s inside your closed-up home in direct sunlight. How long do you think it will take to get your home to a livable temperature after it's been baking all day? It's much better to avoid that situation all together!

Sixth - Don't add extra heat to your home - Avoid cooking in the oven, or running warm appliances like the dish washer or clothes dryer. These can add to your cooling space.

Seventh - Avoid incandescent bulbs - or turn off unneeded lights all together.

Eighth - Make sure your ducts are installed properly and maintained at a regular basis. If there are leaks or cracks in the ducts- or even if something got pulled away you could be paying to heat your attic or other semi-outside space. It is important to get your ducts inspected if you have lost force in your air flow.

Ninth - seal around windows & doors - if your home is leaky - you are inviting hot air from the outside in, and paying for it to be cooled.

Tenth - Insulate your attic - the attic can get up to 150 degrees! That air will make your entire home feel hotter. There are different ways you can prevent this from ceiling insulation to radiant heat barriers. See what would be best for you.

This old house also has videos etc. on how to install any of these items and more HVAC tips!

HOT!

As you may have noticed...weather this year has been a rollercoaster, AND it's not done yet! This summer is going to be 30-40 degrees warmer than usual...What does that mean?

It's HOT! outside. It was hot over the weekend. My friends and family gathered in a backyard for a birthday party, and in anyother April, there might have been equal chance of a nice sunny day, or a cold and rainy one. This Sunday was STEAMING hot. If you air conditioning unit hasn't been used in a while, and hasn't been serviced (regardless of whether or not you've been using your heater), your AC is WAY more likely to have a breakdown when the heat hits. That's why it is so important to schedule bi-yearly services and to turn your air conditioner on for a test before it gets really hot. Because, when it gets hot....everyone is in the same boat, and when all those neglected AC units fail, your time for service can be considerably longer than if you had taken precautionary measures. For example, you don't wait for your car to start smoking under the hood until you take it in for service, why should you wait on your AC?

Here's what you can do as a homeowner:

• Turn your air conditioning on (even if only for about a half an hour) on a warmish day to make sure it still works.
• Be sure to replace your disposable filters or wash your washable air filters at the appropriate intervals (about three months). Some people have never changed their air filter during the duration they have had a home - if you are buying a new home ASK how to change the filter and where the filter is located. This easy change can save your air system's efficiency AND your family's breathing.
• Make sure to use your resources. Close the blinds on hot days. Add screens to the outside of windows and doors that get the sun for extended periods during the day. It takes a lot less energy to cool a warm house than it does to cool an extremely hot house. Also, avoid cooking with the oven or taking overly-hot, steamy showers.
• Try to circulate air. Make sure that none of your furniture (or drapes) are blocking air vents or creating impossible paths for air to get cut off in. If you own a small fan, it may also be a good idea to strategically place the fan to circulate cold air.
• Set your thermostat properly. Cranking the thermostat all the way up to 50 degrees isn't going to cool your home any faster. It's just going to waste excess enrgy. Leave it at a comfortable temperature and be patient - BETTER YET: Turn your air conditioning ON before the peak of the day's heat Once again, it is easier to cool a warm house than a hot house AND it's easier to keep a cool house cool.
• USE your programmable thermostat! Set your thermostat to an appropriate temperature and leave it there. Cranking the numbers up and down will create unequal cooling and be very inefficient! If you don't have a programable thermostat, think about getting one. There can be substantial energy savings and they can be left on even if you are away from the home. However, be careful when discarding old thermostats, many of them contain mercury and while it is a very small amount it is enough to effectivley poision a whole pond. Please discard the thermostat at a waste event or find another suitable solution.

If these tips aren't enough to get your unit back in running condition, arrange a service call with your local licensed HVAC contractor.

There are a select number of service duties that should only be done by a professional. For example, the refrigerant in your unit requires a license to install/carry. If your unit isn't running like it should, it is a good idea to have a professional look at it.

Hope all these tips are helpful and keep you and your family COOL!

Its going to get HOT!

This summer is going to be HOT!

With all of the anomaly-like weather we have had this year, doesn't it make sense that the summer is going to be 30-40 degrees hotter than normal?

According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, visit for yourself at http://www.cpc.noaa.gov summer 2009, is going to be quite the hot one in Southern California.



What does that mean if you don't have air conditioning in your home? That you are going to be really hot...

What does that mean if your air conditioning system hasn't been serviced this year yet? That it is probably going to "putter" out during the hottest day of the year and you will have family visiting...and no air.

What does that mean if your air conditioner doesn't break down? That it is going to be working over time...and not running efficiently.

How to fix these things?

1. Make sure your air system is serviced before the heat of summer. A qualified technician will ensure that everything is clean, the refrigerant is fully charged, nothing is leaking and/or overflowing, there is no corrosion or build-up and that the electrical and wiring is operating correctly.
2. Run your air conditioner according to the energy star recommendations - set your thermostat to around 75 if you can stand it. Your air system will not cool faster if you crank the numbers down to 60 degrees, so your house will still be the same temperature and your bills will be super high - plus, if your system is correctly sized, if you set your thermostat super low, it will turn off too quickly - before the house is completely (equally) cooled.
3. Make sure your system is up-to-date. If your system was installed in the 1980s or 1990s, it is running at a way lower SEER (efficiency ratio) than units installed today. You want to think about it: If your unit is on all the time (as warranted by 30-40 degrees above normal heat) do you want it to be as efficient as possible? The answer is YES - because that saves you in energy costs. If you run an energy efficient unit, you could save around $40 for every $100 a normal energy bill would come to (meaning you are paying $60 not $100...).

So make sure that you have completely examined your options this summer, before that first energy bill lands on your porch.

How Hot is it Going to Get This Summer?

Why should I care how hot it is going to get this summer? Because, especially in the city, heat stroke can be very dangerous to the elderly or young children. The Red Cross has a brochure that can be downloaded as PDF or plain text that explains the possible dangers of the summer heat. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/heatwave.pdf Here is the link for the PDF, a tri-fold brochure with a wealth of information. What I found most interesting on the site was their Heat Index Chart. This chart compares temperature and humidity and categorizes each "relative temperature" according to a color. This graph can be found at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/heat/index.shtml There are also other links on the page to different heat awareness resources including a checklist to see if your family is prepared for a heatwave. According to the National Weather Service, Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services even temperatures beginning at 91 degrees can be dangerous. The Red Cross (as part of their brochure) has more information about preparadness and avoidance of heat-related illnesses. On their web page: http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_243_,00.html The American Red Cross gives these tips for preparation for the summer months: If a Heat Wave Is Predicted or Happening... Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Stay indoors as much as possible. If air conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor, out of the sunshine. Try to go to a public building with air conditioning each day for several hours. Remember, electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help sweat evaporate, which cools your body. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun's energy. Drink plenty of water regularly and often. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty. Water is the safest liquid to drink during heat emergencies. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly, but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true about beer, which dehydrates the body. Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.

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So what does this have to do with us? Here is the weather forcast for this Saturday, June the 14th on a large scale, national map. Look at the heat index when applied to an actual place, and then I'm sure the importance of paying attention to your heat behaviors will be more important! Click on this link and check out the image of the United States as the projected temperatures for Saturday. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heat_index_MAX/bchi_day3.html

Keep checking back for more updates!