Top 5 Ways to Keep Your House Cool
Last Updated on July 21, 2021 by Stellar Sunscreens
Advantages of Keeping Your House Cool Naturally
Cooling a home through a natural process offers a myriad range of benefits. After all, the use of air conditioners can use almost 1/6th of the overall electricity consumption of the household during the summer. As a result, people observe a sudden hike in their utility bills.
The advantages of keeping the house cool naturally are:
- The natural process of cooling a house includes adding more trees and shrubs in the landscape which in turn blocks the heat.
- Instead of using Ac the natural cooling process involves using programmable thermostats that can save on your cooling bills by almost 10% a year.
These are the few advantages of keeping the house cool through a natural process. Moreover, the amount spent on utility bills can be saved in this process.
When summer hits things can start to heat up in your home which means feeling cranky and uncomfortable as well as spending more on energy bills. Keeping cool can be difficult, especially for those without AC. There are several things you can do to help beat the heat in your home as well as decrease energy spending cost.
Keep Blinds and Shades Closed
If you have a lot of windows that offer direct sunlight, you are losing a lot of cool air and gaining a lot of heat. Using blinds, sunscreens, blackout curtains, or shades could help lower your energy bills up to 30% by blocking up to 90% of the sun’s heat from getting into your home.
When using sunscreens on your windows the temperature in your home could lower by 12 degrees. This alone could make a huge difference in your home.
If you enjoy having natural sunlight and struggle to keep sunscreens closed or down, consider closing the sunscreens that are facing the sun directly while keeping the other windows open or slightly open. Keeping out the direct sunlight will give you the most benefit from your blinds while offering some of that natural light in.
There are several different window shade options for both inside and outside your home. Combining awnings with curtains could increase the amount of sunlight that is blocked, creating a cooler space for you.
Ceiling Fan Rotation
Most ceiling fans have two rotation setting, clockwise and counterclockwise. During the summer months, you want to make sure your ceiling fans are set to spin counterclockwise. This creates the windy breeze that will help cool you down.
If you stand under your fan and do not feel a cool breeze your fan is set to rotate clockwise. This is used during the winter months to create an updraft. The updraft essentially pulls the hot air that rises back down to be redistributed in the room. This is not what you want in the summer months.
When using a ceiling fan you are able to slightly turn down your thermostat saving you energy. If you want more savings make sure to turn your fans off if you are not in the room.
Ditch the Incandescent Lights
Some light bulbs give off a lot of heat. Incandescent lights being one of them. These light bulbs use 90% of their energy through the heat they give off. Though you may not notice a huge change in the room by doing this you are making a difference.
Many people are going to LED lights as well as CFL’s. These light bulbs give off little heat and are energy efficient saving you money in the long run. LED lights, in particular, have long lives meaning less time spent changing bulbs for you.
Get your Grill on
In the summer months, some people dread cooking. The thought of turning on the stove or oven when it’s hot could make you want to run off to the nearest restaurant. Though this is a great alternative to cooking, it can get a bit pricey.
Instead, head outside to the grill. Grilling your food will help keep your houses’ temperature down and still leave you with a cool place to escape the outdoor heat. Plus you get to show off your awesome grilling skills as well as fill the neighborhood with amazing bbq smells!
Home Improvements
There are several things you can do to your home and landscape to help keep your home cool. Many of these options can also increase the value of your home as well. Which is an added bonus!
Windows
We have already talked about adding sunscreens and shades but what about new windows? If your windows are old or they have seals that don’t seal properly, getting these things fixed or updated will help keep your home insulated and cool.
Newer windows may come with window tints which adds to the cooling effect in your home by decreasing the amount of sunlight to enter.
Landscape
If your yard is pretty bare, adding a tree or two can add shade to your home providing relief from the intense sun. You want to make sure you plant your trees on the sides of your house that gets the most sun. This is probably the most beneficial on the east and west sides of your home as that is where the sun rises and sets.
Adding vines or shrubbery may also help in cooling down your home though they are not as beneficial as adding trees to your yard.
Attic
If your home has an attic, checking the insulation is important. If your attic is not insulated you could be losing up to 20% of the cool air through your ceiling. Installing installation could greatly affect your energy cost.
It is also beneficial to be knowledgeable of how your home is insulated overall. Adding insulation throughout your home could help to keep your home cooler in the summer months and warmer in winter.
AC Unit and Duct
If you have an Ac unit, it is important to properly maintain it. This increases the life of the unit as well as ensures you aren’t spending a lot on wasted energy cost. It is advised people change their filters once a month as well as inspect your ducts. This can help decrease how hard your AC has to work to cool down your house. If you find any leaks in your ducts you will want to fix these to make sure your air is going and staying where you want it.
If it is time to replace your old AC unit looking for an energy efficient unit is the way to go. This provides efficient cooling ability with cost-effectiveness.
These five suggestions will help to keep your home cooler throughout those intense summer months and save you money in the long run. Staying cool and comfortable is important when trying to enjoy a relaxing day at home or entertaining friends and family.
