SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Throngs of San Diegans will head to the beach this weekend to escape the coming heat and humidity, but if you plan to stay home, you may need to fire up the air conditioner fast.
"Even if it gets up to 80 to 85 degrees, some of these California homes don't have insulation in them," said Mitch Kenney, owner of Colepepper Services, which fixes air conditioners. "They can heat up real quick."
If your A/C is old, Kenney said there are three quick things you can do to make sure it's operating as efficient as possible to keep you cooler and also save you some money on your electric bill.
RELATED: Tips for staying cool if you don't have A/C
First, Kenney recommends clearing debris, cobwebs and leaves around your air conditioning unit, which will help it work more efficiently.
Also, open your home's windows and doors each morning from about 6 a.m. until about 10 a.m. to bring in the cool air. Then, close the windows and blinds to trap it in.
It'll eventually get hot inside -- likely around 3 p.m. -- and that's when it's time for the air conditioning.
"It doesn't have to work as hard," Kenney said. "If you've got an old unit and you've got it on 24 hours a day working, it's going to break out on you."
Not only that, an efficient air conditioner can also mean a cool, lower electric bill.
If you don't have A/C, one way to keep the temperature down is to set your ceiling fan counter clockwise so it pushes cooler air toward you.
If you have any ideas on how to stay cool in the heat, please join the conversation on our Facebook page.
