We actually made this change back in the late fall, but I forgot all about it until yesterday. (I was down in the basement putting stuff away in my chest freezer, noticed the breaker was off, and said "Aha! I forgot to blog about this one!)
You may not be aware, but when your air conditioner is "off", it actually draws energy from the power grid, like any other item plugged into your home's electrical system. According to a friend of mine, who is a heating/air conditioning technician, the phantom power is used to cycle a small heater in the air conditioner unit, which prevents the refrigerant from solidifying, so you can use your air conditioner as soon as you turn it on. Since we don't use the air conditioner in the winter, I don't need to worry about the refrigerant not being ready to work right away. He said that I could safely turn off the breaker to the unit, without harming it, and reducing any phantom power draw it might have. I just need to remember to turn the breaker back on in the spring.
Showing posts with label air conditioning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label air conditioning. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, August 16, 2010
Invest in front-door screen (Day 31)
This post is a bit of a cheat, because I had already made this change just before I started my eco-challenge. However, after discussing this idea with friends, I decided to include this as one of my changes.
DH and I bought a retractable screen door for our front door. With the layout of our house, the front door is a straight line to the back patio doors. We have a screen on the back door, and always have it open on nice days. However, until last month, I was unable to take advantage of our corner lot and its constant breeze at the front. The front of the house is also north facing, with a deep front porch, so it keeps the house really cool.
Now, with the front door and back door open, we get a beautiful cross-breeze through the lower part of our house. I have had the air conditioner on about two days since I've had the screen door, despite several 30C plus days. We have definitely saved energy as we are not using the air nearly as much. The house isn't as stuffy, and there is a delightful breeze that blows gently throughout most of the day.
It's just a little piece of heaven.
DH and I bought a retractable screen door for our front door. With the layout of our house, the front door is a straight line to the back patio doors. We have a screen on the back door, and always have it open on nice days. However, until last month, I was unable to take advantage of our corner lot and its constant breeze at the front. The front of the house is also north facing, with a deep front porch, so it keeps the house really cool.
Now, with the front door and back door open, we get a beautiful cross-breeze through the lower part of our house. I have had the air conditioner on about two days since I've had the screen door, despite several 30C plus days. We have definitely saved energy as we are not using the air nearly as much. The house isn't as stuffy, and there is a delightful breeze that blows gently throughout most of the day.
It's just a little piece of heaven.
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