THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 29, 1977 15
Nancy Dickerson, prominent national
correspondent, reports for Detroit Edison:
"Here are some tips
on using your air conditioner wisely
when temperatures soar:"
The Midwest is experiencing one of the
hottest summers in recent memory and
many people are turning on their air
conditioners to keep comfortable. As an
energy supplier, Detroit Edison is an
active and concerned participant in
America's crusade for conservation. But
the success of this crusade requires a
working relationship between those
who supply energy and those who use it.
Using your air conditioner wisely is one
of the ways you can help. You'll save
on operating costs, too.
You can dial up and
hold your costs down.
Don't,overcool your home. That's a
wasteful use of energy. And expensive.
For the most comfort and the most
efficiency, set your thermostat no
lower than about 10 degrees below the
outside temperature. If it's 85 degrees
outside, then set your thermostat at
about 75 degrees. Otherwise your air
conditioner has to work extra hard and
your costs go up and up. In a typical
house, you can save about 5 percent in
operating costs for every degree you
move the thermostat up. So, if your
house is going to be empty for a few
hours, move your thermostat up 5 more
degrees and pocket the savings.
Staying comfortable this
summer can be a breeze.
When the sun beats down, the heat in
your attic builds up and it can be like
living under an oven. An attic exhaust
fan will get the hot air out and let the
cooler nig)t air in, and take the strain
off your air conditioner. Good attic
insulation works wonders at keeping
your home cooler in summer and it will
pay off again by saving on heating costs
next winter. And don't forget light-
colored shingles reflect heat. Whatever
you do to keep heat out of your house
saves money in air conditioning. Window
fans work, too.
So do the same now and you can reduce
your air-conditioning costs by as much
as 12 percent. Shade your windows from
the outside with ventilated awnings or
trees and save even more—up to 22
percent of your air-conditioning
operating costs.
Maintain your cool.
If you want your air conditioner to take
good care of you, keep it clean. This
means changing or washing the air filters
- often. Also, vacuum the inside coils and
keep outside coils free of debris. Clean
registers and return ducts regularly on
central air-conditioning systems, and
keep the cooling.drain open for free
condensate flow. And don't block air
flow with furniture or draperies. Your
owner's manual lists other maintenance
tips. Follow them and keep cool all
summer.
Shades of the past.
Buying a new air conditioner?
Maybe the most important
numbers aren't on the price tag.
Before you had air conditioning, there
were things you did to keep comfortable,
like pulling down the window shades and
closing the draperies on the sunny side
of the house. That's smart. Because a
bare window lets in as much as 35
times more heat than an insulated wall.
First of all, it's important that you get
the right size unit (BTU's). Your salesman
can help on this if you tell him the length
and width of the area you want to cool.
Another number that's important is the
EER number. This stands for Energy
Efficiency Rating.
BTUs
WATTS
You can figure this out yourself. Just
divide the BTU number by the number
of watts. For example, a unit that
delivers 6400 BTU's with 800 watts has
an EER rating of 8. (800 goes into 6400
8 times.) The recommended EER
number for any air conditioner is
or more. You may pay a little more, but
you'll save on energy costs in the long run.
Detroit Edison has a folder, "How to
stretch your air-conditioning operating
dollar:' Pick orie up at any customer'
office and start saving, or write to:
Customer Relations, Detroit Edison
2000 Second, Detroit, Michigan 48226
Conserve for all it's worth.
The power is in your hands.
Edison