What does Heat Gain Mean?

Heat gain refers to the transfer of heat into your home through a variety of sources. The primary source of heat is the sun, and the absorption of heat by your structure increases dramatically during the summer months as solar radiation intensifies. However, your home environment can also gain heat from the operation of appliances, lighting and other fixtures. It’s easy to note the impact your oven has on the kitchen during any season. Many people avoid baking during summer months for this reason. Your home comfort system provides a remedy to excess heat, and the more intense the heat gain during the season, the more your equipment works to moderate the temperature in your structure.

Helping Your Home Comfort System when Conditions Heat Up

Preventing your home from gaining too much heat can keep your system from having to work more than necessary. There are several options for limiting the heat transfer into the home during the summer months. Simple steps include installing insulated curtains or solar window screens to reduce the effect of exterior conditions. You can also use white paint or roof coatings to reflect the sun’s rays, reducing solar gain through the walls and roof.

You can enhance your home’s comfort levels with structural strategies as well. You can add attic insulation to increase the protective barrier that limits heat transfer through the roof. You can also consider the installation of multi-pane windows. Home sealing is important for keeping hot air from infiltrating your home directly.

Limiting your use of indoor appliances during the hottest parts of the day can help in reducing your cooling load too. You can leave laundry and baking for evening hours when the sun isn’t up and the temperatures are down. Every bit of added heat affects your cooling system’s performance, especially during peak temperatures.

Dealing with Comfort Control Problems During Hot Weather

If you are taking steps to keep your home from gaining heat but still experience poor performance from your air conditioner, then you may benefit from a system tune-up. Many of our customers aren’t aware of the fact that their equipment can be optimized to ensure better performance. By checking your equipment thoroughly, we can pinpoint parts that are worn or broken. We also provide some of the following services:

• Coil cleaning – dirty coils keep your refrigerant from doing its job, adding as much as 20 percent to your operating costs
• Refrigerant evaluation – low refrigerant leads to poor cooling ability, increasing your energy usage and costs
• Duct inspection – leaky ducts can allow heat to infiltrate your home, increasing the cooling load and energy usage
• Control and relay checks – faulty electronic equipment can prevent your system from working optimally

 

Although spring service is ideal to ensure that your equipment is ready for the entire summer’s cooling needs, a tune-up can be handled at any time.

Home Performance Service

Custom Air Heating & Cooling can evaluate your home’s performance to pinpoint issues like heat transfer, leaks and insulation. We can also calculate your cooling load in order to assess the sizing of your cooling equipment. You can contact our Venice, FL staff to discuss your needs or schedule an appointment.