Running the air conditioning is obviously the best way to cool your home as the outdoor temperatures rise, but there are several great ways you can help keep your home cool!
Try these quick tips for a cooling difference you can feel immediately in your home – and possibly even see savings on your next energy bill.
- Set ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise. During the winter, your ceilings fan should be spinning clockwise in order to force warmer air to the floor and keep your house warm. However, when you’re trying to keep your home cool, switch your ceiling fan to rotate counter-clockwise. This will pull the warmer air into your home up towards the ceiling and send the colder air back down to be distributed throughout your home.
- Switch your bedding. Winter is over and so is the need for those warm, bulky blankets. While fleece blankets or flannel sheets are great for insulation when we need warmth, it’s counterproductive to sleep with this style of bedding when you’re trying to keep cool. Opt for thinner, cooler sheets and blankets and consider using materials such as cotton or buckwheat to stay comfortable while you sleep.
- Keep the blinds closed. It’s nice to let the sun in through the windows every once in awhile during the summer, but it’s best to keep that light out when trying to cool your home. Sunlight and heat draft through windows can account for a shocking 30% of unwanted heat into the home. Try to keep your blinds and draperies closed to keep the heat out!
- Close your doors. Shutting the door to an unused room prevents cold air from escaping the hallways and more frequently used rooms in your home. If nobody is using them, make sure all bedrooms, bathrooms and other areas are closed off.
- Open your windows at night. Temperatures during the summer can take a sharp dip at night, often times lower than what we have our air conditioning set for. This is a great opportunity to open up your windows and let in the fresh, cool air. Setting up a fan near an open window to help blow the cool breeze around can also be a huge help for keeping your home cool.
- Turn on exhaust fans. Exhaust fans in your bathroom or other areas of your home can actually make a difference in temperature when left running. These fans suck hot air from the environment and send them away from your home, which is especially helpful after using the oven or taking a hot shower.
Have you noticed your A/C isn’t performing as it should? Call Pearson for an inspection to make sure everything is running properly to keep your family comfortable.
