Cool Your House More Efficiently
How Registers Can Have An Impact
As we slide into the hottest months of the year, it’s worth taking a moment to make sure your AC is ready. Many little things can have an impact that will help you cool your house more efficiently, including your registers.
Here’s a few ideas to help you stay a bit cooler this summer.
Keep Registers & Vents Clean
Take a closer look at your vents and registers, especially if you have floor vents. Dust and debris can build up until you have a problem with air flow. Regularly vacuum your registers to keep things flowing. Do a deep clean occasionally where you remove covers and vacuum out the louvres, dampers, and visible duct.
Replace air filters in returns as instructed. Dirty air filters can have a huge impact on your air flow and can even damage your HVAC system. Obstructed airflow creates extra pressure that can cause problems for your unit.
Leverage Ceiling Fans
Give your AC a little boost by using ceiling fans to assist in air blending and circulation. Many ceiling fans can be set to create either updraft or downdraft. Set them to pull air up if you have floor vents, and down if you have ceiling vents. This will take some of the burden off your HVAC and help you maintain more even cooling.
Clear the Area
Floor and wall vents should never be blocked by furniture. This creates an obvious problem for air flow that you’re probably already aware of. You can cool the house more efficiently if you go one step further and make sure no furniture, drapery, or anything else is in front of, on top of, or near your vents.
Manage Hot/Cool Spots
If you find you have hot spots or rooms that are cooler than others, you can increase or decrease air flow to these areas to balance the temperature. Simply close some louvres or dampers on your vents in areas that get too cool and keep all vents open in areas that get too hot. Be sure not to close all the vents in a room or you may increase pressure in the AC system that could damage your cooling unit.
Consider closing some louvres or dampers on the lower levels of your home and keeping upper levels all open. Warm air rises so it’s easier to cool the ground floor than it is to cool upstairs. Adjusting your louvres and dampers can help you balance out that discrepancy.
Get New Registers, Louvres & Dampers
New registers, dampers, and louvres are beneficial in two ways: they are clean and they function optimally. Newer louvres and dampers close tighter than older ones. This will ensure you don’t leak air if you decide to close some of them to balance air flow or temperature in your home. New registers, dampers, and louvres are a fresh start, a clean slate that will not only update the look of your home, but give your AC a boost too.
Improve Your Home
Beyond caring for your AC unit and registers, some care for other elements of your home can help you cool the house more efficiently.
Unit Maintenance
Get your HVAC unit checked out regularly to ensure everything is working properly. This can help you avoid critical breakdowns and keep you functioning with excellent efficiency.
Duct Care
Occasional duct cleaning and testing ensures that the circulation system of your HVAC is in good condition and delivers the cool air you need. Leaky ducts mean the cool air ends up behind the walls and ceiling instead of inside the rooms of your home. An occasional check for leaks will keep the air where you want it. You’ll also get the added benefit of decreasing allergens with clean ducts.
Increase Insulation
Once the cool air circulates through your house, there’s no guarantee that it will stay there. Your insulation helps you do that. More insulation is one of the best ways to cool a house more efficiently. It makes everything work better and last longer.
Are your registers ready for the hottest months of the summer? If you could do with an upgrade, consider the stylish and efficient option of new registers, dampers, and louvres. Browse what’s available at Reggio Register.