5 Tips to Keep Your House Cool This Summer

For many people, summer means BBQs and dips in the pool. But there are days when that harsh summer sun isn’t quite so fun and turning on the A/C at home seems like your only option.

Meanwhile, temperatures keep climbing across the globe: 2021 probably will end up a little bit hotter than last year. Despite the Florida summer rain, we are facing a warming world. That’s why it is more important than ever to know how to keep cool during the hottest part of the year.

Sometimes coming indoors isn't always enough to get actual relief from the summer heat. Houses and apartments often trap heat. It's up to you to find ways to cool down a room when the summer sun has warmed up too much. Here are 5 tips that will keep your house cool, save you money, and help you be kind to the earth:

1. Block out the sun during the hottest parts of the day. The more sunlight comes into your home, the hotter it's going to get. You can decrease the heat in your home by keeping blinds closed at the right times of the day. Shade windows and walls using coverings, like blinds, awnings, or large potted plants. Once the sun goes down, you can open your blinds a little to allow some of the trapped heat to escape. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your home cool.
2. Adjust your thermostat or AC. Finding the perfect balance between a comfortable temperature and one that's energy-efficient can make a big difference in your bill. Cool things down while you're home with a setting around 73 or 74 degrees, but know that on especially hot days, your AC will work itself pretty hard. When you're not in the house, turn the AC up to around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit for peak efficiency.
3. Adjust ceiling fans. Sometimes you might feel like ceiling fans just push the hot air around your home rather than cooling it down. Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down, helping to create a cooling effect. In warmer weather, set the fan speed to high; in cooler weather, it works best on low. Ceiling fans can also be used to complement other cooling systems, so checking they rotate in the correct direction can make a world of difference to the temperature of your home.
4. Change your lightbulbs. If you’re having trouble cooling your home and can’t work out why, incandescent lightbulbs might be to blame. Inefficient light bulbs were phased out many years ago, but some homes still use them. They produce a lot of heat, so switching to energy-saving bulbs can help cool your home and save heaps on energy costs.
5. Open your windows at night. Fortunately, most warm days usher in cooler nights. If your house heats up while you are away during the day, you can take advantage of the cooler evening air by opening up some windows to let in a nice breeze before cranking on the AC to maximum. Angle fans to suck in the cool, outdoor air and release some of that trapped heat so your air conditioner has less work to do.