While home décor stores will lead you to believe fall is a time of harvest-hued leaves and crisp, chilly evenings, Floridians have a different type of climate to contend with. In Ocala, autumn highs still hover in the 80s, and humidity can make it feel much warmer. Keep your Florida home comfortable in the challenging fall weather with these tips.
Adjust Your Thermostat
If you’re careful, you can minimize your energy expenses in fall by operating your HVAC system infrequently. This requires a mindful combination of both summer and winter energy settings. During the day, you’ll want to keep the home warmer, particularly if you’re out of the house. Set the temperature as high as you can comfortably manage so you won’t have to use your air conditioning often.
At night, the settings will reverse. Autumn lows can dip into the 40s on cool nights, but typically stay in the 50s. Set your thermostat to a much cooler temperature to avoid turning to your furnace as much as possible.
Set the Fan Properly
If you have a ceiling fan, set it properly to provide you with supplemental heating or cooling as needed. If you’re struggling with a warm area, but you don’t want to turn on the air just yet, set your fan to rotate counterclockwise to create a gentle wind chill effect. If you’re feeling cold at night, switch the fan to a clockwise direction to push heat down from the ceiling.
Address Air Quality
Fall allergens are often quite troublesome in Florida, where plants don’t go dormant as they do further north. Keep your home comfortable by eliminating allergens and irritants from the air as much as possible. Change your HVAC filter monthly to keep things clean. Install a whole-home air purifier if you’re still suffering.
Keep both your heating and cooling systems well maintained to tackle the challenges of fall weather. If you’re overdue for your annual tuneup, contact Senica Air Conditioning, Inc. at 866-881-5935.
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