Originally posted on https://richmondplumbingandhvac.com/beating-the-summer-heat-by-supercooling-your-home-is-it-effective/

 

Summertime heat can be grueling, and not just on your body but also on your electricity bill. We often end up putting our AC to work so that the temperature inside of our home stays cool.

But this comes at a steep price, especially since the temperatures stay high sometimes all the way into October. Meaning that your electricity bill is costly for almost half of the year.

Luckily, a new method of regulating the temperature in your HVAC system called supercooling has homeowners beating the summer heat and also beating high electric bills. This process works by increasing your energy efficiency so that you end up staying cool and paying less.

You may be wondering, what is supercooling? And is it actually effective? We are here to provide you with answers!

Keep reading for a complete review of supercooling and its effectiveness.

What Is Supercooling?

Supercooling is a way to manage the electricity usage of your HVAC system so that you save energy and in turn save money. This method of reducing your energy usage and maximizing your cooling efficiency can help cut out 25% of the energy you consume during these hot months.

Basically, you determine the time of day that costs you the least to use energy and you crank down your AC so that you cool everything in your home. Although this may seem counter-productive, by doing this you’ll actually cool your home down so much that the cold air will be trapped inside and will remain throughout the day. Giving you the chance to not run your AC all day.

Many people worry about running their AC constantly for a few hours but this is actually using less energy than when your air conditioning is shutting off and coming back on multiple times during the time.

Determining Your Energy Consumption

The first step in effectively supercooling your home is getting a clear picture of your energy consumption patterns. You’ll need to contact your utility company to get a time-of-day or time-of-use savings plan. This plan will lay out the cheaper rates vs the higher rates based on an hourly basis.

As a generality, during summertime hours the lowest per kilowatt hours will start in the evening and last until the late morning or mid-afternoon the following day. But you’ll want to make sure you fully understand your plan, so you can know which exact hours are the cheapest.

The lower rated hours will actually cost less on a per kilowatt basis. So running your air conditioning at its max capacity for a short time during these hours will cost you way less than running it all day when the prices are varying.

How To Effectively Supercool

Once you have your time-of-day plan activated and you know which hours are best, you can begin the supercooling process. During these less expensive hours, you’ll want to crank your thermostat down as low as you can comfortably stand it. Ideally, you’ll want to set it between 68-70 degrees.

You may get pretty chilly with the temps set this low so get ready to break out the blankets. If you get too cold, consider putting on some warmer clothes or adding an extra comforter to your bed.

You don’t want to be uncomfortable in your own home but also for supercooling to work you’ll need to really cool everything down. As an added bonus, it has also shown that sleeping in this temperature range is healthiest for your body.

If you have a programmable thermostat you can set it to drop to your decided temperature every night, so you no longer have to worry about it. If not, you’ll simply have to remember to change it every night yourself.

If you’re really looking to cut back on your energy bill this is also the best time to run your big appliances such as your dishwasher, washing machine, oven, or even your pool.

Once the higher rated hour kicks in the following day, move the thermostat temperature back up into the 80-degree range. Your house at this point should feel very cold, so don’t worry about setting the temperature to what would normally be an uncomfortably hot range.

Due to the supercooling effects from the night before, your home will remain cold throughout the day without over-working your AC system. The ultimate goal of this process is to use as much of your overall power as possible during the hours with the lowest rates.

Working off of this method, many homeowners are able to use 90% of their total power during the hours with lower rates. In order to see your bill affected by this process, you’ll want to be using at least 80% of your power during these hours.

After you’ve been testing this method for a few days, check in with your utility company and ask to see a breakdown of your usage stats. They are normally updated regularly and can most likely even be checked online.

Keep in mind that when practicing this supercooling regimen, you’ll want to keep all windows and door closed as much as possible to help trap in the cool air. If your doors are old and are prone to leaking out air this will lower the impact that supercooling has on your bill, so consider having these things fixed.

Also, regular maintenance on your air conditioning system will increase its efficiency. Make sure you are changing your air filters and that your system is working properly before you test out supercooling.

Try Out Supercooling For Yourself

Supercooling is a highly effective way to reduce your energy consumption and energy costs during the hottest months of the year. This process, when done properly, will make a large impact on your bill and won’t overwork your HVAC system.

For all your air conditioning needs and questions, visit our website.