Summer is here again, and with record heat across the region, it's time to think about staying cool. We spend a lot of time trying to find the best ways to efficiently cool our homes and keep our families comfortable, but HVAC needs at places of business are often overlooked.
Here are Five Tips to Keep Your Business Cool this Summer:
1. Prep for Summer
Throughout the year, but especially in spring, consider finding little ways to get your business ready for the heat wave. If you can, have your air conditioner or heat pump units installed near shade. Keeping the system cool helps it, and it helps you by reducing cooling costs by up to 30%.
Window treatments such as sunlight blocking or mirrored film can go a long way to cutting the heat – even heavy drapes or curtains can help. If possible, install awnings for additional shade. Less light inside means less heat inside.
Change out all the air filters as summer approaches.
2. Regulate the Internal Temperature
Most systems are designed to change the temperature by 20 degrees, so if it starts out at 100° inside, the coolest it will get is 80°. Make sure that no vents are blocked by furniture or wall hangings. If you have them, keep ceiling fans running at least on low speed to better circulate the air. Close off rooms you aren't using, so that the rest of your workplace is more efficiently cooled by the HVAC system. Turn off lights where you can, especially heat-generating halogens or incandescent bulbs. Replace them with cooler fluorescent lighting systems if possible.
3. Use a Programmable Thermostat
You don't want to run your system at full capacity all the time. Use a programmable thermostat such as the ones offered by Honeywell, Burnham or Luxaire, to optimize energy efficiency during the cooler evenings, or even on the weekends. Save your electric bill for the important, busy workweek. But remember the 20-degree rule above – don't let the building get too hot on Sunday, or Monday will be uncomfortable!
4. Turn off Non-essential Computers
These generate a lot of additional heat and contribute to the workload of your air conditioning unit. If you must, keep some computers on standby, but turn off the ones you're not using.
5. Regular Maintenance
The best defense against the heat is to make sure your air conditioning unit is up to the task. Regular maintenance throughout the year, by experienced, reputable companies like A. Borrelli can help.
With licensed, trained, and insured technicians in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties, as well as the New York City Metro Area, homeowners in the southeastern part of New York State can count on A. Borrelli to handle their heating, cooling, and plumbing needs expediently. At A. Borrelli in New York, we do HVAC and plumbing right, so call us at (914) 495-3030 today!
