The 4th of July celebrates American freedom and liberty, and we like to go all out in our festivities. Across the country, you’ll find people having barbeques with their neighbors, taking their kids to parades and carnivals, and kicking back in the sunshine with a frosty drink.
In most places, the 4th of July is a hot, sunny day, so people like to be able to relax in their air-conditioned homes when they need to cool down. In this article, we’ll give you some tips to help you stay cool and keep your air conditioning system running its best so that you can focus on the fireworks.
Stay Hydrated, Stay Cool
Drinking enough water is important every day, but it’s especially essential in the summertime. Your body sweats to cool down, but if you don’t drink water, you have nothing to sweat out.
When you’re dehydrated, your body isn’t able to keep you cool as well as it does when you’ve had plenty of water. Staying hydrated can lower your energy costs because you won’t need to run your air conditioner as often.
Encourage your family to drink plenty of water too so that they stay nice and cool throughout the summer, and you could see a noticeable drop in your monthly bill. Adequate hydration on the 4th of July can also help prevent a hangover if you spend too much time out in the sun with an adult beverage in your hand. There’s no need to change your plans for the 4th, just add a few glasses of water to your day.
Keep Your HVAC Air Filter Fresh
Routinely changing your air filter is a smart way to improve the air quality in your home. Your kids will be running in and out of the house, bringing plenty of sand, dirt, and grass in with them.
Refreshing your air filter can help with some of the mess. Breathing clean air is also helpful for allergy sufferers who may be struggling with all of the pollen and fresh-cut grass floating around this summer.
It’s hard to give a precise recommendation about how often to change your air filter, but if you have allergy sufferers in your home, it’s best to change it every 90 days or less. When the air in your home is cleaner, you’ll feel better and have more energy. When you’re running all over town, chasing your kids, or meeting up with friends, you’ll appreciate every extra ounce of energy that you can get!
Preventative Maintenance for Your HVAC
It’s really easy to let preventative maintenance fall to the bottom of your to-do list but keeping your HVAC system in good shape helps it run more efficiently. When your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard, you can sometimes squeeze a few extra summers out of it before you need to replace it.
If you haven’t already cleaned your exterior unit, you should spend some time before your 4th of July barbeque cleaning the fins. You can either use a shop vac or a soft brush and gentle soap to clean out dirt and debris. When the fins are clean, they’ll be able to suck in more air.
If you’re worried that your air conditioner might go kaput before your big barbeque, hire a professional to come and do a round of preventative maintenance. An HVAC technician can check the refrigerant levels, check the electrical systems and connections, and can clean your condenser and evaporator coils.
No one wants to worry about their air conditioner going out on the 4th of July. Schedule a maintenance appointment today so that you can relax and celebrate the holiday with your friends and family in the cool comfort of your home.