cooling-trends-01Short of moving to a location that doesn’t experience summer heat waves, no one can control the temperature outside their home. With summer in sight, many people are shifting their focus from high heating bills to the challenge of keeping their home cool and comfortable without raising the electric bill. Simple changes in how you cool your home can reduce the energy needed while still providing relief from the heat.

For areas that experience high heat and humidity air conditioning is often the most popular (and costly) way to cool the house. The following tips can be used in conjunction with your air conditioning or on their own to lower the temperature inside your home.

  • Change the air conditioning filter before summer heat sets in and once a month throughout the season to ensure the unit is working efficiently. The longer or harder your AC has to work increases the amount of energy required to cool your house.
  • Install awnings, white window shades, and sun reflecting films to keep more heat out of the house, reducing the overall temperature. The cooler your inside temperature the less your AC will have to run to make you comfortable.
  • Use fans in conjunction with AC to help circulate the cool air and lower the temperature throughout the house.
  • Seal drafty areas to prevent cool air from escaping into the neighborhood.
  • Install a programmable thermostat that adjusts AC setting automatically. You can then decide at what points in time you need the most relief or when the AC can take a break.
  • Ceiling fans are great ways to circulate air throughout the year. If you use your ceiling fans in the winter to push hot air down, be sure to change the direction of the blades to draw hot air upward. Ceiling fans can reduce the temperature in a room up to 7 degrees. This can either reduce or eliminate the need for your AC to run all the time.
  • Start cooling your house from the outside in by well placed landscaping. Trees on the south and west sides of your home can reduce the temperature by several degrees. Plant shrubbery to shade your ac unit without blocking airflow and avoid cement, asphalt or landscaping with rocks on the south and west sides of your house.

Many of the tips mentioned above can help even if you do not have air conditioning. Don’t forget other great ways to cool off by getting out of the house. Swimming, going to a shady park or taking a trip to the library are simple ways to get some relief from a sweltering house.



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