How To Keep Your House Cool During Summer

During the hottest days of summer, our air conditioning systems have to work overtime to keep our homes cool–and there’s certainly a cost for that. You’ll probably see your energy bills skyrocket during the summer season. However, there are ways to reduce the wear and tear on our air conditioning system while keeping your home comfortably cool. Use these tips to lower your energy bills, support your AC unit’s operation, and keep your home nice and cool.

Springtime AC Maintenance

It’s important to maintain your air conditioning system. Ideally, you should schedule an air conditioning system inspection and tune-up in the spring just before you’re going to need your unit. During an inspection, your HVAC contractor can look for signs of wearing parts that can cause a breakdown. In fact, when a part fails, other elements of the unit can become damaged, which means a bigger repair bill for you.

Your HVAC provider will also tune up the unit to get it ready for the hot season. It’s important that your AC system has the proper amount of refrigerant and that all of its moving parts are lubricated and in top functioning condition. Routine AC maintenance can help you reduce breakdowns and even enhance the longevity of your cooling system.

Change Your Air Filters

Dirty air filters will detract from your air conditioning system’s optimal working condition. Dirty filters will also reduce the air quality of your home. Your home’s occupant’s may begin to experience respiratory problems like an increase in sneezing or coughing. That’s because dirty air filters cannot effectively block allergens and other particulates from circulating in the air.

That’s not the only problem. When you don’t change your HVAC system’s air filters, you’ll find that it has to work harder. The increase in its fan motor will impact your energy bill, causing an increase. Once the air filter becomes very dirty, it can also cause the condenser coils to freeze up, preventing your AC system from working. If you need air conditioning system repair, you will also need to pay for the service call as well as any damage to the unit.

To ensure that your air conditioning system functions properly, you should change its filters on a regular basis. You can find replacement filters at Filters2Go.com. Remember that clean air filters will also help reduce your energy costs too.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

If you don’t have a smart thermostat, consider installing one. These programmable thermostats allow you to control your HVAC system’s operation from anywhere using your smartphone or other connective device.

During the day when you’re away from home, you turn up the thermostat so that it works less. Before returning, you can access the thermostat to turn it down so that your home is comfortably cool by the time you return. A programmable thermostat means that you can keep your energy costs lower without sacrificing your comfort.

Install Ceiling Fans

Moving air will help you stay comfortable in your home. In fact, when days are cooler during the summer or when temperatures cool in the early morning or evening, you might be able to turn off your air conditioning system and rely only on your ceiling fans to keep cool.

When your AC system is turned on, you can reduce its wear and tear by keeping your ceiling fans running. Be sure to change the direction of the fan blades so that they pull the cold air upwards. Cold air is heavier than warm air so it falls. When the fans pull the air upwards, the cool air will keep your home’s occupants cooler.

Install a Solar Powered Attic Fan

If you don’t have a solar powered attic fan, consider investing in one. In time, the money you save with its use will pay for this device.

A solar attic fan works by drawing warm air up and out of your home. The result is that your house stays cooler and your AC unit doesn’t have to work overtime to achieve your comfortable interior environment. Since your AC unit will run less often, you can conserve more energy and save money on your energy bills.

Keep Your Home’s Blinds Closed

During the hot days of summer, sunlight entering your home can heat it up. You can reduce this heat potential by keeping your blinds and draperies closed–especially during the hottest part of the day or when the sun shines directly through your windows.

In fact, if you need new window treatments, consider opting for energy-efficient cellular shades that are designed to block UV rays. Draperies constructed with white plastic backings have the potential to reduce heat gains by more than 30%. This means a more comfortable interior space and less work to maintain your cool interior temperature for your air conditioning system.

Apply UV-Blocking Window Film

Some people, especially those living in warm climates, choose to apply window film on windows that receive direct sunlight. Many people don’t want to keep their drapes closed during the day.

The film can reduce heat gain while still allowing natural light to enter the space. Using this film means less wear and tear on your AC unit too. You’ll find that it won’t need to turn on as often in order to cool your home. Another benefit of this film is that it will help keep in heat during the winter season.

Plant Trees

Trees are ideal for creating shade around your home. While it takes time for trees to grow, you might opt for fast-growing trees and shrubs to create shade in the sunniest areas of your yard.

Tree canopy cover can reduce your heat gains by more than 20%. Coupled with other cooling options like a solar powered attic fan and UV-blocking window film, you can maintain a more comfortably cool interior without lowering your thermostat and relying solely on your AC unit to keep your house cool.

Cook Outdoors

Turning on your oven can heat up your kitchen, and that heat can permeate to other areas of your house, reducing your interior comfort and forcing your AC unit to work harder.

Instead of cooking in your kitchen, try to grill more often during summer. When cooking indoors, choose meals that cook quickly on your stovetop. By keeping your oven use to a minimum during the summer, you can keep your house cooler.

Seal Cracks and Holes

Before the hot season, you should inspect your home for cracks or holes. You’ll definitely want to seal them. Not only will sealing them block out pests, but it will also prevent your cool air from seeping outdoors. Remember, your thermostat will register an increase in interior heat and tell the AC system to turn on and go to work.

Consequently, you want to keep that cool air locked inside your house so that your unit doesn’t have to kick on as much. The more your unit has to go to work, the more energy it consumes and the more you have to pay each month for your energy bill.

Get an Energy Audit

Many people have opted to let the professionals inspect their homes to perform an energy audit. This audit tells them exactly where they are losing cool air in summer and warm air in winter.

In short, it takes the guesswork out of the picture for homeowners. Even though you may have sealed a crack or two near your home’s foundation or windows, your house may still be suffering from cool air / heat loss. The audit will pinpoint where this loss is occurring so that you can do something about it such as install more insulation.

Install New Windows

New window installation is a big investment, and you might not want to make such a big expenditure simply to keep your home cooler in the summer.

However, new energy-efficient windows will not only help to keep your interior cooler in summer; they’ll help to keep it warmer in the winter. Moreover, new windows can actually boost your home’s value.

If you currently have old windows, they’re probably allowing quite a bit of energy transfer to occur. This can lead to higher energy bills. Consequently, new windows will help you save money each month on your energy costs, helping to defray the cost of the windows over time. If you intend to sell your home in the near future, new windows are sure to be an attractive feature for potential buyers.

If you’re been wondering how to keep your house cool during the summer, keep these tips in mind. Remember that a new USA air filter can help you keep your house cooler as well as your interior air cleaner. By supporting the function of your AC unit, you can also reduce your bills without having to reduce your home’s interior comfort.

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