Did you know that by reducing how much heat enters your Wichita home in the summertime you can lower your home cooling costs and better maintain a more comfortable home? Your household’s doors, walls, windows and ceilings all work together to insulate the indoor environment. Therefore, the energy efficiency of each of these components can have a direct impact on your energy costs.

The following are a few things you can do to lower your home’s heat gain:

Windows

A building’s windows can account for as much as 50 percent of its summertime heat gain.

  • Shade all windows receiving direct sunlight. Use a mix of smart landscaping, awnings and shade screens on the exterior window side, and films, drapery and blinds on the interior. Properly shading windows can reduce energy costs as much as 25 percent when compared to non-shaded windows.

Walls

  • Use light colored exterior paint. When your home is painted a lighter color, it better reflects the sunlight to prevent your home from absorbing excess heat.

Insulation

Your attic’s insulation is a front line defense between hot and heavy attic temperatures and the conditioned comfort of your living spaces. Insulation materials are measured in R-Values, with the higher R-values equating a greater ability to reduce heat transfer.

  • Check insulation levels. Your exterior walls should be insulated to R-19 and your ceilings should be insulated to R-30.

Weatherization

  • Check home weatherstripping. Inspect the areas around your exterior-leading doors and windows. They should be well sealed, without any cracks or gaps that can leak conditioned air.
  • Caulk around exterior penetrations. In addition to weatherstripping your doors and windows, it’s important to use a high grade caulking compound around all exterior wall penetrations like electrical boxes, vents and pipes.
  • Keep windows and doors tightly shut. While your air conditioner is operating, ensure that all of your home’s windows and doors are kept tightly shut to prevent air leaks and drafts.

To learn more about preventing heat gain in your home, contact the HVAC experts at Comfort Systems. Our expert technicians are proud to serve homeowners throughout Wichita and surrounding Kansas neighborhoods.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wichita, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about eliminating heat gain and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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