10 Tips for keeping your cool
If the summer heat is beginning to get to you and your cooling bills are giving you heartburn here are 10 easy and affordable ideas to help you keep cool and save money and energy.
Close Blinds and Curtains
Inexpensive mini blinds or curtains can work wonders for reducing the sunlight and heat streaming in through your windows. At my house, installing inexpensive blinds on the south and west facing windows completely changed the temperature in those parts of the house.Make sure blinds or curtains are white on the side facing the outside. If you want to take this a step farther Solar sun screens and window film are other options that can greatly reduce the heat coming through windows.
Cool Lighting
Ever gone to change an incandescent light bulb that was still on? If so you know how much heat a light bulb can produce. If you replace these incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency, low-heat LED (light-emitting diodes) bulbs, and turn off lights when not needed you will see the benefits.
Cook Wisely
When I was a kid we had nights when my Mom would make cold supper. She would do any cooking early in the morning before it got too hot and we would eat cool salads or meats for dinner. You can also cook outside on the grill, or use the microwave for cooking when possible.
When you do cook indoors:
Cover pots to minimize indoor humidity and use range hood or microwave vent fan to vent hot air outside.
Turn oven off a few minutes before food is cooked to reduce oven heat.
Check the oven by turning on the light and looking through the glass, rather than opening the oven door.
Turn Off Electronics
Computers, TVs, and other electronics generate quite a bit of heat when sitting idle or even when turned off. If possible plug items into a surge protector and turn it off when items aren’t in use.
Repair Windows and Doors
Windows and doors are a major source of heat gain in the house, so keep windows closed and locked and doors tightly closed to prevent cool air from escaping. Older single pane windows and doors without proper weather stripping are the worst culprits.
If you can’t replace your windows and doors with more energy efficient models, repair any gaps in or replace weather stripping around and under windows and doors. Also, don’t open windows at night unless the temperature drops to the low 70s F or lower and the humidity is low.
Use Fans for Cooling
A ceiling fan or portable fan uses much less energy than an air conditioner, but they’re only effective when you’re in the room to feel the cooling, so turn them off when you leave.
Run ceiling fans in a counterclockwise direction (when looking up) when you’re in the room to help keep you cool through evaporation. This will allow you to set the thermostat on your air conditioner higher and save energy.
Clean Air Conditioner Filters
While your AC system is cranking away, the filter is getting more use than usual. Be sure to change your filters on a regular basis and more frequently during high peak usage times to allow air to flow easily through your HVAC system, making it run more efficiently and saving energy.
Put Off Chores
You heard me! Don’t run the dishwasher, clothes washer/dryer, or other appliances during the heat of the day, since these machines generate heat and humidity that will be hard to overcome. Put these chores off until evening when possible.
• When cleaning clothes:
• Wash clothes in cold water and only when you have a full load.
• Choose the shortest wash cycle that gets the job done.
• Keep the dryer vent and lint screen clean to lower drying time.
• Line dry clothes either inside or outside when possible.
Use Less Hot Water
Turn your hot water heater down to a lower temperature setting so it will run less and produce less heat.
Hot showers create a lot of excess heat and humidity in the house, so:
• Take shorter cooler showers to reduce humidity and heat.
• Run the bathroom exhaust fan when showering or bathing, and keep it running for 20 minutes afterward, to remove excess heat and humidity.
Plan Ahead
Long term strategies to keep your house cooler include:
• Plant shade trees on the south and west sides of the house.
• Install insulated glass windows with low-E coating or storm windows.
• Add awnings over sunny windows.
• Install additional attic insulation
• Replace existing roof with cool shingles or light-colored roofing
These are only a few of the many strategies for keeping your house cool in the summer. Put some of these home improvements to your to-do list for relief in years to come.