The summer offers longer days, fun holidays, and outdoor activities. It is also the hottest part of the year and one where keeping cool can be a challenge. If you’re having issues staying cool in the summer the following tips will keep you comfortable even as the outdoor temperatures rise.
Eleven Tips To Keep Cool In The Summer
- Use Your Ceiling Fans: if you don’t have ceiling fans, installing them can help make your home cooler in the summer. Air circulation moves the air through your home, helping keep the temperature from rising too quickly. You should run your fans counterclockwise so they pull the cool air upward, keeping the room comfortable.
- Program Your Thermostat: a programable thermostat gives you more direct control over your home’s cooling and can also help you save money. If you’re out of your home daily due to work or other responsibilities, you can program your thermostat to only turn on when you’re just about to come home, allowing you to walk into a cool home without having to leave the air on all day.
- Block Sunlight: if you have direct sunlight shining into your home through a window, that can quickly cause the temperature to rise in your house. Install blinds or curtains that you can close during the sunniest parts of the day. This also has the bonus of reducing the fading to your home’s interior and furniture.
- Open Your Windows At Night: summer evenings are often cool with a pleasant breeze. Opening your windows at night allows cooler night air to enter your home and will keep it cool until the morning when you wake up.
- Add Plants To Your Yard: another alternative to blocking sunlight is to block it from the outside. While this solution can take time, adding plants and shade trees can help block the sunlight and heat before it reaches your home.
- Install Duct Booster Fans: these small easy-to-install fans can make your home’s cooling more efficient. These fans improve your ducts by increasing the amount of cold air you can pull into a room. They are useful for helping your home’s hottest rooms stay cold.
- Consider Using a Portable A/C: sometimes you don’t need to cool your entire home, only the room you are currently using. A portable A/C is easy to move, allowing you to have cool air when you need it most while also reducing overall energy costs.
- Install a Mini-Split: a mini-split A/C is a mix between a wall unit and a built-in A/C unit. Quiet, compact, and easy to use, they can improve your cooling options and allow for a type of cooling zone by only cooling rooms when you need to. These types of A/Cs also work well in ductless homes.
- Open Your Interior Doors: closing off rooms reduces circulation and can cause hot air to become trapped. When your home’s interior doors are open, air can circulate throughout the home, keeping things comfortable.
- Grill More: your oven quickly heats your home and during the hottest parts of the year, you will want to reduce any outside heat sources. Moving your cooking outside to your BBQ grill can reduce the usage of your oven, which can help keep your home cooler.
- Keep Your Air Conditioner In Good Condition: regular maintenance is critical to keeping your A/C running at its best when you need it most. A professional can ensure it is in good working order and that all maintenance and repair needs have been attended to.
When it’s really hot you want to cool down as quickly as possible. However, it is often not economical to leave the air on all day. The above tips can help you keep your home comfortable without breaking your energy budget.