A Texas summer can be a blazingly hot period of several months that puts large amounts of stress on your residential air conditioning system. An overworked air conditioner will not only cost more to operate but will be more likely to malfunction or break down from excessive use. An effective way to relieve your HVAC equipment this year is to take steps to reduce summer heat gain.
What is heat gain?
Heat gain is the accumulation of heat in your home from natural sources or from the operation of appliances and indoor equipment. Sunshine is a primary producer of natural summer heat gain while household equipment such as kitchen ovens, clothes dryers and lighting generate heat from mechanical processes. The more heat that is produced by these sources, the harder it is for your air conditioner or heat pump to keep your indoor spaces cool.
Where and how to reduce summer heat gain
A whole-house approach to reducing heat gain in your home this year will deliver the most effective results. The more you can do to change or eliminate sources of heat, the greater the cumulative effect will be.
Windows
Since sunshine coming through your windows is the primary natural source of heat gain in your home, concentrating some effort and attention in this area will be effective.
- Close the drapes and curtains: Probably the simplest way to present sunlight-based heat gain is to keep sunlight out of your home. Close your drapes and curtains to keep sunlight out. Heavier curtains will be more effective at blocking light. Use drapes and curtains with a medium color and a white background; this type of material can reduce heat gain by nearly a third.
- Apply window treatments and light-blocking films: These materials are coverings made of plastic or other material that blocks sunshine. They are intended to be applied directly to windows. Most types are darker colored or have other light-blocking characteristics.
- Put in window shades and blinds: The old-fashioned roll-type window shades that pull down over windows are a time-tested method for keeping sunlight out. Two-toned shades with a lighter reflective side facing the window and a darker side facing indoors are most effective. Slat-type window blinds give you the option to choose how much sunlight comes in, but they are still very effective blockers. Closing them completely can reduce window-based heat gain by up to 45 percent.
- Build awnings to shade windows: Putting awnings above your windows will shade them from sunlight, keeping heat away. Awnings can cut heat gain by significant amounts, up to 65 percent on southward-facing windows and 75 percent on westward facing windows.
Attic
Attics can get extremely hot in the summer. When this heat accumulates in your home’s upper spaces, it will naturally radiate into your lower-level areas, increasing temperatures everywhere there is a connecting floor/ceiling between the attic and your home.
- Install an attic ventilation system that produces a consistent airflow in the space, exhausting heated air outdoors and bringing cooler air inside.
- Insulate your attic thoroughly, including the ceiling near the roof, the walls and the floor connecting to your home’s indoor spaces. Fiberglass blanket or batt insulation between beams and joists is the most common type of insulation to use. Loose fill or foam insulation works well in irregularly shaped or hard-to-reach spaces. Use insulation with an appropriate R-value, which is a numerical indicator of how well the insulation resists heat flow. In the Wichita Falls area, the U.S. government’s Energy Star web site recommends insulation with an R-value of R30 to R60.
Appliances
Home appliances can produce significant amounts of heat as they operate. Paying attention to when and under what conditions appliances are used can be a major tool in reducing summer heat gain.
- Avoid using kitchen ovens whenever possible. Use microwave ovens, countertop grills or small toaster ovens for cooking.
- Run clothes dryers, dishwashers and other appliances in the morning or at night when temperatures are cooler.
- Make sure your dryer is vented to the outdoors to carry away heat and humidity.
Lighting
It only takes one time of touching a hot light bulb to realize how much heat these small items can produce. Switch your bulbs from standard incandescent models to compact fluorescent bulbs to save energy and reduce heat production.
James Lane has been in business for more than 55 years, providing expert heating, cooling, and plumbing services for the company’s valued customers in Wichita Falls and the surrounding Texas communities. Contact us today for more information on preventing summer heat gain and keeping your home cooler with less reliance on your air conditioning system.
