With the higher temperatures we are dusting off the little used air conditioner. There are a few things we can do to make life a bit more comfortable. Common mistakes with the use of an air conditioner include expecting it to cool down a building after it is already been heated up. Leaving the temperature set and letting the home be kept cool is the way the systems are designed.

It takes a lot more energy and cooling capacity to drop the temperature than to hold it. Heat pumps are rated in two ways. For air conditioning check the Seer Number on the unit. They range form a low of 10 to 16.5. The heating is rated by COP and is 2 to 3. The higher the number the better the system.

These do need to checked for Freon levels and sensor function if you are not getting good results. The home itself will need to be well insulated and the use of window covering helps reduce the load. A big Item missed is the attic vented properly. If it is not vented well the attic can be up to 120 degrees or higher on hot days. Correct venting requires vents at the low and high sections of the roof. This will allow the air to move out of the attic. There are also solar powered roof ventilators that can be installed with no wiring. Roof work is dangerous and should be done by a professional.

(Editor’s Note: Rick Courson is president of Cedar Bay Homes in Silverdale and a nationally acclaimed pioneer of the “Green Building” movement. Reach him at RickCourson@Cedarbayhomes.com.).