How to Keep Your Home Cool in the Summer

The following contribution is from another author.

Summer is right around the corner. It means warmer days and more sunshine. It also means that you may be wondering how to keep your home cool and at the right temperature.

You want to be comfortable in your home as you go about your day and when you sleep at night. There’s nothing worse than being too hot and not having anywhere to go because it’s even hotter outside. Therefore, use these tips and advice to ensure you’re able to keep your home cool and comfortable this summer.

Make Sure Your AC is Working Properly

You can keep your home cool in the summer by running your air conditioning as needed. It’s wise to get it serviced now before it’s too hot and it breaks. Contact a trusted HVAC service to come out and look it over and make any necessary repairs. On the days you choose to use your air-conditioner, you should set the thermostat to between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The rule of thumb is to put it as high as you feel comfortable with while living in your home. Keep in mind that increasing your thermostat by just one degree in warm weather can reduce the running cost of your appliance by roughly 10 percent.

Close Your Blinds

It’s also in your best interest to go around and keep your blinds closed most days in the summer. You should pay special attention to doing so with the north and west-facing windows. Completing this simple task is going to significantly cool off your home this summer. If you live in a very warm and sunny climate you may also want to invest in some black-out curtains to keep your home protected from the harsh summer sunshine. Your goal is to block the heat so you may also want to shade any windows or walls with external coverings.

Use Fans

Another way to keep your home cool in summer is to use fans throughout your space. If you already have ceiling fans then set them to rotate counter-clockwise in the summertime. Doing so will push the air straight down and create a cooling effect. In the winter, you can set your ceiling fans in a clockwise rotation to pull cool air up. You can also invest in small handheld fans with a cooling mist that you can hold over your face.

Close Doors & Seal Gaps

Plan to keep your home cool in the summer by also closing your doors and sealing any gaps. Keep the cool air where you need it the most by closing the doors in the rooms you aren’t using during the day or at night. Notice any gaps around your doors or windows and seal them before the warm weather sets in.

Conclusion

Summer is a fun time of year but can also be quite hot and uncomfortable temperature-wise. Therefore, start thinking about how you want to create a cooler environment in your home using these tips and any other ideas you may know about or have heard of from other sources.