Keeping Cool in the Summer

All Winter we complain of the cold and long for the warm Summer days to cheer us up! Now that Summer is here some find it a challenge to keep cool in our homes. This issue of the Backyard Bulletin will explore ways to maximize your comfort with helpful tips to keep cool. Find out what cooling methods work best for your home and family to enjoy our Canadian Summer months!

What Are Your Watering Days?

Yardwork like watering your lawn or activities like washing your car, kids running through the sprinkler, or filling a pool are great to help cool off, but also use a lot of our city's water. The Region of Waterloo has put into effect The Water Conservation By-Law to conserve water in the summer months. This By-Law is in effect Beginning May 31st through to September 30th. To find out what your unique water days are click on the link below.

If you would like more information regarding The Water Conservation By-Lay for Waterloo Region, please call: 519-575-4495
Find Out More About Your Watering Day >>

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Keep Your Home Comfortable in Summer Heat

The following is a basic checklist to prepare your home for Summer. Don't shut Summer out! Use the following checklist and tips to keep your home comfortable, cool, and running effeciently in the Summer months. Some items are best to leave to a professional to check. A Handyman or specialized Contractor will be able to offer help and additional information to prepare elements of your home for summer.

• Shelter Sun from exposed windows with awnings and shrubbery. Keep your blinds and draperies closed on hot, sunny days.
• Keep windows closed in the heat of the day. Open windows in the cool of the night.
• Your attic can reach temperatures of up to 65 degrees celcius in the summer. Insulation in your attic protects your home from excessive heat penetration in the summer.
• Make sure roof ventilation is adequate to prevent heat build up. Open the attic vents to let out heat: remember, hot air rises.
• Use floor and ceiling fans to create gentle breezes.
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Think You Know All? Read About the MYTHS and FACTS of Air Conditiong

If after making all the home adjustments you can to stay cool, but you just can't seem to beat the heat, an air conditioner will do the trick. Air conditioners aren't the most energy efficient solution to keeping cool, but an older model of an air conditioner can result in larger, unnecesary costs. Replace your old air conditioner with a more effecient one by contacting a Heating and Cooling Contractor today.

MYTH: It's more efficient to leave the air conditioner running at a minimal level during the day than to shut it off and have to re-cool the house again later.

FACT: The less you use the AC, the less electricity you use. When the AC is running regardless of the level, you are paying for it, when it is off, you're not. Keep your windows closed while the AC is off as to not let in additional humidity, a well insulated home should only drop a few degrees throughout the day while you're not home.

...more MYTHS and FACTS >>

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How To Ensure a Long Effecient Life of Your Air Conditioner

Here are some helpful tips to expand the life of our Air Conditioner and help it run more effeciently and effectively for your home, the environment and your wallet!

• Change the furnace filter monthly including the A/C season.
• Change the batteries in the programmable thermostat yearly (if applicable) .
• Turn A/C on only in the later evening or early morning. It saves the compressor life.
• When you turn your A/C unit on, drop the temperature only by 2 degrees at a time on the thermostat, based on present room temperature. Once that temperature has been achieved, drop down 2 more degrees at a time. Follow this procedure until the desireable temperature has been met. Following these procedures will omit the possibility of the coil freezing up and allowing only warm air through the vents.
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These tips are curteousy of:

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How Ceiling Fans Cool You Down...

Fans do not actually make the air cooler, they work by blowing away the warm air surrounding your body. We generate a lot of heat and as that heat slowly radiates away from your body, it creates a pocket of hot air that surrounds you. What fans do, is push that surrounding hot air away from you.

This is similar to blowing at hot foods. Have you ever wondered why you blow on your bowl of soup to cool it off? You're not actually cooling the soup, but you are blowing away the hot air radiating from it, so the hot air spends less time close to the soup allowing it to radiate more of it's heat quicker .
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In This Issue:
> What Are Your Watering Days?
> Summer Checklist: Keep your Cool
> Myths & Facts of Air Conditioning
> A Longer Life for Your Air Conditioner
> How Ceiling Fans Cool?