Keeping Your House Cool - Home Air Conditioning Tips

Five Proven Ways to Keep Your House Cool

Oven

Unfortunately, there are very few things that can heat your entire home as quickly as your oven can. So, if you’re trying to keep your home cool, keep oven use to a minimum. The burners on your stove also create a significant amount of heat, so be careful about firing those up as well. An excellent alternative to using your stove or oven during hot summer days is outdoor grilling or any recipes that don’t require heat.

If you must use the oven, try waiting until nighttime when the outdoor air is coolest.

Windows & Curtains

One of the simplest things you can do to keep a room cool during the dog days of summer is to make sure the windows are closed. The drawback here is that you will not be able to keep fresh air circulating throughout the house. However, on sweltering days this trade-off is worth it. As long as the air outside is hotter than the air inside your home, keeping the windows shut will keep your home a little cooler.

On hot days, you will also want to keep your blinds closed and curtains drawn. This is because 76% of the sunlight that enters your home turns into heat. The color of your drapes can make a big difference as well. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, medium-colored drapes with a white-plastic backing do the best job of reducing heat in your home. Another option is blackout curtains, which keep windows completely covered and block out 100 percent of sunlight.

Doors

If you spend the majority of your time at home in one room, try closing the doors to the rooms you don’t spend as much time in, like bathrooms and bedrooms. Blocking off the less-used parts of the house keeps the cooler air concentrated in the area you spend the most time in. This helps the room you’re in cool down faster and stay that way.

Additionally, suppose your doors have gaps between the bottom of the door and the floor. In that case, particularly if those doors lead outside, we strongly suggest installing some insulation to fill those gaps. Things like weather strips are easy to find and install and do a great job preserving cool air.

Light Bulbs

Right behind kitchen appliances, light bulbs are another massive source of indoor heat. Incandescent light bulbs, in particular, give off an extraordinary amount of heat. And unfortunately, 90% of the energy they use is wasted. However, CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) and LED bulbs are much more energy-efficient and produce far less heat than incandescents. Therefore, by making the switch to CFLs or LEDs, you can keep your home cool and reduce your monthly electricity bill.

AC Unit

If your AC unit has not been inspected recently, it’s likely that it is not working at peak efficiency. This means it will take more energy to cool your home, and it will take longer to reach your desired temperature. Some ACs never meet the temperature set on the thermostat because they are low on refrigerant or in need of maintenance. Having an inefficient AC unit makes it extremely difficult to keep your home comfortable, especially on hot summer days.