Air Conditioning | 3 Tricks To Efficiently Cool an East-Facing Room
Heating and cooling costs account for nearly 40 percent of the average home's energy bills, so you'll want to run your air conditioning units as efficiently as possible. If you have an east-facing room that is subject to the wrath of the morning and mid-day sun, you'll need to undertake some additional measures to run your air conditioners more competently. This guide is designed to help you cool your east-facing rooms as efficiently as possible.
Fortify Your Windows With Robust Treatments
During summers, east-facing windows are a major heat gain source from the morning sun. Summer heat gain through open windows can be 100 times more than through insulated walls, so you'll want to choose appropriate window treatments to protect the room. This means that you'll end up consuming more energy because your air conditioning unit will take longer to cool the room. Adjustable shading window treatments like blinds, shutters and awnings will give you enough flexibility to obstruct the low-angled mid-day or morning sun from entering the room. Ideally, you should choose lighter-coloured window treatments because they reflect heat and light away from windows. Darker coloured window treatments will absorb and retain heat, which may warm up your room and will defeat the purpose of these furnishings. Once you're able to keep the room cooler by blocking out the sun with these window treatments, you'll be able to enhance the cooling capacity of your air conditioning unit.
Close the Room During the Day
During summers, you'll need to use the air conditioner more than any other season, especially in your east-facing room. Even if you're not cooling the room, always keep the doors shut because you don't want to invite unwanted humidity and heat into the room. Make sure the room doors are always closed so that the cool air from the air conditioning unit is retained in the room for as long as possible. This puts minimum stress on the cooling unit when you start it up again. If you need to ventilate the room, you can use ceiling or table fans for circulating air throughout.
Plant Trees and Bushes Near Your Room's Windows
Planting trees and bushes on the outside of your east-facing room's windows is an excellent way to protect them from the direct rays of the sun. This is because the bushes and trees add a protective layer by absorbing the sun's rays before they reflect on the windows. Since the sun's fury is reduced against your windows, your air conditioning unit will not be stressed and will run with improved efficiency.
Use these smart tricks to efficiently cool your east-facing room.