To improve the performance of your home, all you have to do is take a few common-sense measures. Being mindful of things like air filter replacement and the energy use of appliances in your home can make all the difference when it comes to performance. Most of these methods won’t break the bank and are easy to implement. Improving the performance of your home reduces your impact on the environment. It also reduces your utility bills. Why wouldn’t you want to improve the performance of your home?
4 Simple Ways to Improve the Performance of Your Home
Creating shade, circulating air, replacing air filters, and using efficient appliances can all improve the performance of your home.
ONE: Create Shade
One easy, efficient, and affordable way to improve the performance of your home is to plant trees around the perimeter. Tall trees with thick leaves will provide shade, reducing the amount of sunlight that strikes your home. Because much of the heat inside a home happens as a result of direct sunlight, this can significantly reduce daytime temperatures, leading to less use of your air conditioning system.
Shade can also be created by reducing the amount of sunlight that penetrates windows. Sunscreens, window tinting, and closing curtains during the daytime are all options to keep sunlight out.
TWO: Use Fans
Simply circulating the air inside your house can also help improve home performance of your home. When air stagnates, it feels warmer and can gather humidity. Air that is moister feels hotter.
Dehumidifiers can also be used to reduce the humidity of the air inside your home. Of course, these use electricity too, but they often use less than your air conditioning unit.
THREE: Replace Air Filters
Replacing air filters is part of routine maintenance that can improve the performance of your home. Having clean air filters makes it easier for air to flow through your air ducts, reducing the power load on your air conditioner. Make sure to replace the filters in both your air conditioning unit and your home on a regular basis.
FOUR: Use Efficient Appliances
It’s best to avoid using appliances during peak daytime hours as much as possible. And while it may not be feasible to reduce the overall number of appliances in your home, you can use as many ENERGY STAR efficient appliances as possible. Products that have earned the ENERGY STAR label have passed strict requirements for energy efficiency established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These products can perform the same functions as others but use less energy to do so. ENERGY STAR-labeled appliances and electronics can be up to 70% more efficient than other models.
Be sure to activate the power management settings on your computers as well. These settings are not enabled by default—the user must configure them. Having your computer enter “sleep mode” after a few minutes of inactivity can save power.
Don’t hesitate to improve the performance of your home. Contact us at Sierra Pacific Home & Comfort, Inc. in Sacramento, California for better home performance today!