We’ve already been hit with one heat wave here in Des Moines and we’re just getting started with summer. Cooling your home can be as big a chore as it is an expense. No one wants to be in a home that’s no cooler inside than it is outside and no one wants to go broke trying to keep their home at a reasonable temperature. That’s why we thought you might appreciate a few tips to help fight the summer heat.
1. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west so be sure to have sufficient shade over your easterly and westerly widows during the day. Direct sunlight can really heat a place up so utilize or install curtains or shade that will keep the light and the heat out.
2. Save your heat-producing activities until the evening. Running your dishwasher and your dryer can raise the temperature in any home and when it’s hot outside there’s no place for that heat to go.
3. Utilize the fan. Moving air makes the heat much more tolerable. Think about a nice cool breeze on a hot day. That same concept works inside your home. Use any kind of fan in your home to create a light and cool airflow. This will allow you to leave your thermostat at a higher temperature without making you uncomfortable.
4. If you have a yard, consider planting shade trees on the east and west sides of your home. This will help to keep your home cool by blocking the direct heat from the sun when it rises and sets.
5. Don’t cool your unused rooms. Close the vents to any rooms you’re not going to be using. This includes empty guest rooms, offices, or dining rooms that you only use on special occasions. Closing those vents will lighten the workload of your air conditioner.
Have any tips we didn’t mention? Feel free to share with us in the comment box below or on Facebook and Twitter.
