Little Bit of Green

In summer, does it happen to you that you have to visit your icebox several times a day? Do you often dream about living in Iceland when you are at home? Every summer, this is a common scenario that affects millions of homeowners in Toronto and elsewhere. Before the next hot summer arrives, let’s go through a couple of ideas on how to get ready for it.

Air-conditioning: the most accessible option

The internal temperature of our homes can be decreased by several ways, let’s take a short look at them. The conventional air-conditioner is probably the most effective, but also the most expensive solution. If this is your favourite option, then there are several tips to ensure you are getting the best value possible from your AC unit. First, it is crucial to measure the size of your house or condo and according to that pick the correct AC unit. If you have a common family home with two bedrooms, look for machines with around 5,000 btu – that should be enough. The optimum place for the unit is a window on the nort-facing wall of the building. This will keep the unit cooler and working more efficiently. There is a danger of house dust building up in the internal filters which would have negative impact on the performance of the unit, so make sure you clean the filters at least once a month. If you know you won’t be home for more than an hour, just switch the AC off and then after your return re-cool the rooms, this way it is more economical.

Eco-friendly possibilities

But what to do if you think more eco-friendly and don’t want to use precious energy for these power-hungry machines? Well, there are several ways to decrease the internal temperature without adding to global warming by excessive and pointless use of CO2 producing fossil fuels. So, let’s begin at the top of your house and work our way downwards.

Roof

As you might already know, the amount of heat transferred depends on the type of material it goes through. Tiles, shingles or other types of roofing materials are a perfect example of this. Your attic space should be insulated with good quality material. If you apply a 12 inch layer instead of a 3 inch, the cost of cooling your home might be decreased by up to 10 percent.

The Keeping your Toronto home cool article will bring you even more tips and tricks on this topic.

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