Surviving the heat, without breaking the bank.

The last few days here in the Yucatan have been hot and very humid. So that means “turn on the Air conditioning” But since electricity here is expensive, you want to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck. One of the things to remember, is a lot of the problems in the Yucatan heat wise are a function of humidity. The more humidity for a given temperature and you will feel colder if the temperature is low and hotter if the temperature is high.  The easy way to reduce humidity and temperature in a house is to add air conditioning. An Air conditioner removes moisture from the room air and dumps it on the outside of your house via a drain tube, as it cools your house. But if you have an existing air conditioning system, there are a few small things you can do, to make sure you are getting your money’s worth.

My best advice is to acclimatize and do not use a/c, just use good fans to cool you with a nice breeze.  A lot of Mexican folks close up the house during the day, to keep the heat on the outside and then open up during the night to let cool air in. But if you need A/C during this time of year and we do, make sure the compressors are clean and the condenser coils free from salt, dirt what have you. Go up on the roof or where ever they are and wash them with pressure from a garden hose and maybe give them a light spray of WD 40 to prevent corrosion.

Next make sure your Evaporator screens inside the house are clean. The indoor part of mini splits have filter screens and they pack up with sand, dust and especially dog hair, in no time. That restricts airflow and the unit runs forever and no air actually flows out cooling the room or not enough and the unit continues to run, rather than cycling. The front upper facia of the indoor units lift and there are screens under it, that can be washed and cleaned. Last if the air coming from the room unit does not seem as cold as it should, the unit could need a shot of refrigerant  gas and needs to be serviced. If the coolant is low the unit will not cool as designed and it will continue to just run and run and run, while adding to your CFE bill.

Like most things you own, a little maintenance will go a long way to keep operating costs down, your CFE bill lower and keep you cooler at the same time.