The summer solstice is set to occur soon, which means that spring will soon be giving way to summer. Even so, it seems that summer is a real eager beaver and doesn’t want to wait for the solstice. According to a report from CTV Edmonton, many parts of Alberta will be experiencing summer temperatures ahead of the summer solstice:

“Edmonton has hit 25 degrees just ONCE this year. But, that could change later this week. There are signs that the Upper Trough currently in place will be replaced by a strong Upper Ridge. Some models are indicating temperatures near 30 for parts of Central & NW Alberta by Wed/Thu/Fri.
At the same time, the severe weather indices look relatively low this week. (CAPE is virtually non-existent until the weekend). So, we could be in for a fairly sunny & hot end to Spring.
Summer officially starts Saturday.”

Although you can easily use air conditioning to keep your home cool, letting it run 24/7 will result in a nasty surprise when your electric bill comes along. However, there are certain things you can do to help air conditioning in Edmonton stay energy-efficient and low-cost despite constant use. Here are some simple methods you can try:

Draw Your Blinds

Streaming sunlight into a room is often the biggest reason why your air conditioner finds it difficult to keep it cool. Keep your window treatments closed to keep the heat from coming in. To increase the effectiveness of this, try using light-colored treatments as they reflect more sunlight than dark-colored ones.

Limit Stove/Oven Usage

Stoves and ovens add a lot of heat to a home. So how exactly are you supposed to prepare a meal? Try eating chilled foods like salads or sandwiches. This is also a great time to try that interesting microwave recipe you read the other day since microwaves produce significantly less ambient heat.

Clean the Filters

Summer is the time when all sorts of things will get caught in your air conditioner’s filter. When the filter is blocked by debris, the flow of air will be reduced substantially and thus lower the unit’s cooling ability. Have a trusted Edmonton air conditioning contractor like one from Capital Plumbing clean your filters regularly, or replace them if need be.

Plant a Tree

While this might not exactly be a “simple solution”, it does help cool your home significantly. If you do decide to plan a tree, try to plant it so that the shade it produces during the early afternoon covers the condenser of your unit. This way, it keeps the condenser cool, resulting in a more efficient and longer-lasting unit.