A lot of people complain when the air feels too humid. However, having some humidity in your home could be good for you. Humidity keeps your skin moisturized and balances the temperatures in the house. On the other hand, excessive humidity presents its own set of problems and challenges. If there is too much humidity in your house, the air might feel very uncomfortable.

It can be hard to strike a good balance, especially if you live in a place that is known for having higher levels of humidity. Fortunately, there are products and services available for assessing and managing your indoor air quality. It is possible to rein in the high levels of moisture in your home, thereby making sure that your house remains cool and comfortable during the summer months.

The key is to find the ideal home humidity levels that work best for your living quarters. Here are the seven best ways for making sure humidity doesn’t take over your house:

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Every time you get home and turn on your air conditioner, your expectations are high. You expect to get sweet, fresh air to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. It can be quite the unpleasant experience when you are greeted by odious air conditioner smells instead. These smells then get transferred into the air, leaving your entire house smelling like a sewage.

Where are these smells coming from? There are several reasons why your air conditioner could be emitting those awful smells. An HVAC professional will be able to diagnose the air conditioner problems in greater detail. In most cases, one of the following reasons might explain why your air conditioner smells so badly:

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The sweltering heat of the summer months makes you rely on your air conditioning system more and more. However, even when your air conditioner is running well, it might not be pumping out cold air the way it should – or used to. If you feel like your air conditioner isn’t doing its job, the problem may be due to some inefficiencies in your AC system.

When a faulty air conditioner is not working efficiently, your energy consumption could skyrocket to unmanageable levels. Not only is this harmful for the environment, but the air conditioner inefficiency will have a negative impact on your energy utility bills as well. If your utility bills are higher than expected, the main culprit could be an inefficient air conditioner.

To maximize your air conditioner efficiency, make sure you understand the different AC components and how to keep them functioning optimally. A professional HVAC service can inspect your air conditioning system to ensure all the components are working optimally.

For additional help, below are five tips to improve your air conditioner efficiency in a smart way:

1. Clean the air conditioner.

As with any other household appliance, air conditioners get dirty. Grime, dirt, dust, and other gunk can and will build up in your AC, making it difficult for fresh air to get out and cool you down. To make sure this does not happen, you should be cleaning the air conditioner on a regular basis. This type of air conditioner maintenance should occur a few times during the season.

Before cleaning, make sure you turn off the electricity flowing to the air conditioner. This is to prevent electrocuting yourself or shorting a fuse. After cleaning, let the moisture dry and then turn the unit back on. You should be able to feel a noticeable difference in temperature afterwards.

2. Clean or replace the air conditioner’s filters.

A dirty air conditioning filter could slow down the airflow of the unit. When dirt and other debris build up in your air conditioner’s filter, the system will use more energy since it must work harder to supply you with the same quality of cold air.

The dirty air filters can be cleaned or replaced. There may be a need to replace the filters if their physical condition deteriorated significantly. You can use your judgement when it comes to how often you do this, but once every month is a good rule of thumb.

3. Clear any obstacles to the airflow.

Debris can compromise the overall efficiency of your air conditioner. The air conditioner should be cleared of any debris that interferes with the unit. It’s a good idea to make sure that no trees, shrubbery, and other foliage could be blocking off the unit’s air vents. The goal is to unblock any obstacles to the ventilation and maintain a steady flow of air for maximum air conditioning efficiency.

The air conditioner fins keep the cold air flowing smoothly out of the AC and into your home. If you haven’t been enjoying the same cool air that you are used to, open your air conditioner and inspect the fins. If they are twisted, bent, or broken, you’ve found the culprit. Once the fins are returned to their normal state, you should have better airflow from your air conditioner.

4. Keep your air conditioner away from the sun.

Your air conditioner may be exposed to hours of direct sunlight on a bright and sunny day. The natural heat from the sun may contribute to the inefficiencies of the AC system. When your air conditioner is in contact with the sun, it must work overtime to cool and condense the refrigerant coming out of the compressor discharging the heat from your home.

Both central air conditioning machines and window units need to be kept away from the direct glare of the sun as much as possible. Try to place either unit on the east or north side of the house in order to accomplish this. If there are any trees nearby, they can provide some shade onto your AC units.

5. Adjust your thermostat upwards.

During a cooler summer, you can adjust your thermostat temperatures upwards by a few degrees. This setting could save you some money, since you are using less resources from the air conditioner. Whether you can tolerate a warmer room temperature depends on your personal temperament. Most people won’t notice a significant difference in room temperature if you only increase it by one or two degrees.

If you have a programmable thermostat in your household, you can automatically adjust the indoor temperatures to reflect the different times in a day. During the hours when you are away from the home, adjust the thermostat appropriately to ease the pressure off your electricity utility bills.

If your air conditioner is showing signs of wear and tear, there are many risks involved with keeping an old air conditioner running in your home. In addition to an old system being prone to malfunctions and diminished efficiency, it’s also more likely to just stop working altogether.  

An entirely new air conditioning unit can be expensive and is a significant financial investment. Many people are reluctant to go through with a new unit, especially if your current one doesn’t look that bad. You may have convinced yourself to put up with the old air conditioner for a while longer, just to save yourself the money and the hassle. However, there are many risks for keeping an old air conditioner.  

Below are 8 dangers of old air conditioner that may persuade you to replace it with a new one as soon as possible: 

1. Old Air Conditioners & Bacteria

Not only will an old air conditioner work with less efficiency, there are significant health risks posed by running an old AC unit. Rain and hot temperatures make these air conditioning systems breeding grounds for bacteria. Old units tend to build up bacteria, fungi, and pollen over time. These microorganisms continue to increase over the period that the system is in use. 

Although not all types of fungi can produce infections, there are plenty of dangerous types that find their way into the airflow and intake ducts. To minimize these old air conditioner dangers, routine cleaning and maintenance should be performed on a regular basis. 

2. Respiratory Health Risks Related to Old Air Conditioners

While there are many people that have strong, healthy immune systems, not everyone can withstand poor air quality. For people suffering from medical conditions such as bronchitis or asthma, where an old AC unit can be a threat to their health. They can be highly susceptible to lung infections or asthmatic flare ups. 

Since your AC unit pushes air throughout your entire home, it is easy for bacteria to spread through the air, reducing the air quality. If they continuously breathe in these harmful toxins for a long period of time, it will only make their pre-existing respiratory problems even worse. A way to fix this and lessen the risks is to repair, clean or replace old air conditioners.  

3. Old Air Conditioners Contain Ozone-Depleting Refrigerants

A lot of air conditioners in homes older than a decade are original systems. Your AC unit could be and most likely is older than your current kitchen appliances. While a lot of old technology contains volatile chemicals that are horrible for the environment (think Freon in retro fridges). This can go for your AC unit as well. Many old air conditioners contain ozone-depleting refrigerants, which are unsafe for home use.

In the last few years, a lot of these old units have been phased out, but many older homes still have old air conditioners that contain harmful chemicals. Modern air conditioning systems contain much more environmentally friendly and contain ozone-friendly refrigerants.

4. Old Air Conditioners Are a Fire Hazard

The mere fact your air conditioner is old means it probably has outdated parts, such as broken fans or faulty heating pipes. If these parts aren’t working properly, excessive heat may accumulate within your AC system, causing temperatures to rise to a dangerous level. This will increase your chances of the system catching on fire. 

The electrical wiring in air conditioning systems will also deteriorate over time. The wiring is often hidden somewhere within the unit, making it difficult for you to check it yourself. Because they’re hard to diagnose, these issues can go unnoticed very easily. It only makes sense that old wiring systems can be a major fire hazard.  

5. Sickness Caused by Old Air Conditioners

If you ever walked into a building and felt like it was making you feel sick, you have experienced a phenomenon called the ‘sick building syndrome’. This sickness is associated with a range of unrelated symptoms that include skin irritation, headaches, breathing problems, nasal congestion, and fatigue.

The sick building syndrome is caused by a buildup of airborne microorganisms in air conditioning units. Some people are more sensitive to these effects than others, especially if they have a pre-existing condition.

6. Old Air Conditioners Equal High Electricity Bills

Besides the physical danger of an old air conditioner, the fiscal risks are also worth mentioning. The older an air conditioner gets, the less energy efficient it becomes. The electricity bill of a 10-year old air conditioner is higher than that of a newly installed one.

Newer air conditioning units tend to be more efficient in energy consumption. Some of these new air conditioning units are equipped with energy saving features that had not been discovered when the current air conditioner was installed. Replacing your old AC unit means you get to enjoy the advanced features that will save you money on utility bills.

7. Temperatures Could Become Unbearable

It makes sense that old air conditioners may not run as they once did, and it’s true. Due to factors such as wear and tear, an old air conditioner can’t perform the way it used to. This means temperatures in your home could get extremely unbearable, either too hot or too cold. Apart from making your home uncomfortable, an old air conditioner means you’ll spend money on operating a system not doing the job it was built to do. In this case, making the investment in a new unit would be the best option. 

8. Old Air Conditioners Break Down Easier

Even if your AC unit has been working well the last 20 years, it’s no excuse to keep it. As old air conditioners can contain a variety of toxins, chemicals and more. Your air conditioning unit won’t last forever. After consecutive years of hard work, the parts will eventually start wearing out one way or another. Some of these repairs may be minor, while others could be a lot more serious and severe.

Either way, spending money to constantly repair an old air conditioning unit is not wise. You are better off disposing the old air conditioner and replacing the system altogether.

Do you have an old air conditioner that requires disposal? Since air conditioners (and other household items containing refrigerant) have components that are considered hazardous waste, they shouldn’t be disposed of within a regular trash can. In fact, you should be extra careful about where to take old air conditioners. Improper disposal is considered a public nuisance and could attract legal action.
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A thermostat is a common household device used for regulating temperature. There are different types of thermostats in the market, each with its own unique features and attributes. The standard thermostats are capable of the basic heating and cooling settings, while the higher-end models may come equipped with additional technologies that add comfort and make your household more convenient.

The ideal thermostat should be both practical and complementary of your lifestyle. Here are the various types of thermostat devices that you can choose from:
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Before the summer season kicks in, you need to evaluate your home’s air conditioning system and prepare for the hottest season of the year. The goal is to ensure your air conditioning is set in a way that provides you with maximum comfort in a cost-effective way.

Optimal thermostat settings are critical in the summer. It requires knowledge to adjust the thermostat settings that will save you money and keep you refreshed in the summer heat. Here are six cost-effective tips for the best thermostat settings in summer:
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You’ve tried everything and you just don’t know how to keep your house cool. We’ve all spent those summer days, drenched in sweat, wondering how we’re supposed to keep the house cool without spending a fortune on air conditioning. Feeling the heat already? We all know what we’re in for with such hot temperatures. It can be too hot to relax at home, too hot to take a nap, and even too hot to enjoy a cold beverage in comfort. How can we get back to that? 

Ideally, you will want to spend the summer in an air-conditioned room, where you can sit back, relax, and soak in the coolness of your home. But we know that running the AC unit all the time gets pricey. There are a few home hacks that can keep the temperature down during the air conditioner’s down-time.  

If you’re dreading the peak summer temperatures or wondering how you’re going to handle the next heat wave, here’s some seriously helpful tips to help keep the house cool, without spending a small fortune on your electricity bill! 

1. Use an air conditioner

While this might sound like the most obvious solution, installing an air conditioner in your home is your best bet if you don’t have one yet. You don’t need to break the bank on a big fancy AC unit. A small simple air conditioner unit will do wonders in keeping your house cool during the hot summer months, especially in specific rooms. There are many different types of air conditioners with various features available.

Thanks to modern science, there are even portable air conditioners that allow you to walk around your house and remain cool. These portable ACs have wheels that make transportation effortless as you travel from room to room. An advantage of portable air conditioners is that you get to cool only one specific room, instead of investing energy and money into cooling the entire house. 

2. Give your AC unit some TLC

Sometimes, the reason why it is extremely hot in your house may be as simple as an inefficient cooling machine. We can help to maintain your air conditioner and repair it if necessary. You wouldn’t want to find the problem in the middle of the night. 

 3. FAN-tastic tips

Electric fans may not be as effective as an air conditioning system, but they are handy and extremely easy to set up. They’re classic: plug in the machine, turn on the fan, and walk slowly around the front of the fan as it oscillates keeping your face directly in the airstream. We’ve all done it, and it works.

You can get creative with your electric fan and enhance it with a bowl of ice. Sit the bowl in front of the fan, and as the ice evaporates, it creates a cool mist. Immediate arctic breeze! 

4. Get cozy in cotton sheets

Silk sheets are the worst type to sleep in during the hot weather, and we won’t even mention flannel. If you’re looking for a better, more breathable fabric, try good old 100% cotton sheets. Go an extra step and try light coloured cotton sheets, as they absorb less light (and therefore heat) and are a little cooler to sleep in. This works just fine with tip 6 as well! 

5. Draw the shades

During a lovely summer day, the first thing we tend to do is to open the curtains and allow the sunshine to seep in. This is super beautiful, yes, but by doing this, you’re allowing the house to absorb heat. This consequently causes a greenhouse effect right in your home. The heat from windows contributes up to 30% of the heat absorbed into your house.

To keep the heat outside, close your blinds and curtains, or if you have plants or basking-loving cats, lower your blinds. It’s also advisable to use thick, dark curtains with a reflective backing of colours (such as red, orange and yellow) for an even cooler effect. 

6. Fill up the freezer!

Our freezers can be super underappreciated, especially in the summer. While they’re the home of popsicles, freezies and a quick momentary face chiller, they can be used for so much more.

Next time you’re dreading a hot sweaty sleep, try placing your sheets in a plastic bag and put them in a freezer for a few minutes before going to bed! Boom. Easy cool sheets. It may not be a permanent solution, but it will give you a well-deserved break from the heat! 

7. Cook in the great outdoors

Nothing raises temperatures in your house like a hot oven baking some cake, stove slow-roasting poultry or even a toaster oven crisping up some fries. Instead of staying indoors and getting cooked along with your food, use the outdoor spaces you have to dispense some of that heat. Summer means barbeque, and if you don’t have one, tabletop grills are easy to find, and can do just as good a job! 

8. Heads up, insulate your attic 

You might think that insulating anything for the summer would be a bad idea, keeping the heat in and all? A well-insulated attic actually inhibits the transfer of heat between the attic and your living space during summer. It also prevents warm air from getting into your attic during winter. With this type of extra forethought and care can reflect in the value of your home if you sell in the future.  

9. Think outside the house

It’s not something you usually think about, maintaining the outside of our home. Managing certain parts of the house can help immensely with keeping things cool. The roof, walls and other insulating areas protect from weather of all sorts. By using different materials, like sheet metal, you can reflect heat and light away. Easy first step to making your home a cooler place!