When the summer heat starts to make you miserable, you may feel tempted to turn your air conditioner on at full blast. Instead of taking that wasteful approach to staying comfortable, try these four eco-friendly ways to cool your home this summer.
Set Your Fans to Turn Counterclockwise
Fans don’t cool the air, but they do help sweat evaporate from your skin. Turning on a fan, therefore, will make your body feel cooler even when the room’s temperature stays the same.
For the largest effect, set your fans to rotate counterclockwise. A counterclockwise movement will push air downward. During the winter, switch your fan to turn clockwise so it can force warm air downward.
Have a Programmable Thermostat Installed
Having a professional install a programmable thermostat in your home makes it possible for you to reduce energy waste while keeping the indoors comfortable. Once you have a properly programmed thermostat, you can virtually eliminate problems like:
- Short cycling that makes your home hot or cold
- Dramatic changes between thermostat settings
- Low or high humidity
Many people try to install programmable thermostats on their own. While you can take the DIY approach, you’ll get better results from hiring a professional who knows how to evaluate and program every aspect of your thermostat.
Use Window Treatments to Block Heat
You may enjoy watching sunlight fill your rooms during the day. Direct sunlight, however, will raise your home’s temperature, besides the fact that it can cause furniture and flooring to fade where it hits. Installing energy-efficient window treatments will block the sun’s heat, so it doesn’t affect your home as much. Some of the most effective window treatments include:
- Outdoor awnings
- Interior blinds
- Exterior blinds
- Drapes
- Mesh window screens
- Shutters
You can even put high-reflectivity films on your window panes to redirect sunlight away from your home.
Cook on an Outdoor Grill
The heat from your stove and oven range can make it difficult to cook dinner in your kitchen. Every time you open the stove to check on your meal’s progress, you release hot air into your house. It doesn’t take long before the kitchen’s heat becomes unbearable.
If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen and start cooking family dinners on an outdoor grill. The chef will still have to suffer over a hot grill, but the heat won’t affect the rest of the house. That means your air conditioner won’t have to do more work than necessary to cool your home.
Before the summer heat sets in, check your grill to make sure it works properly. You may need to replace old parts or get a new can of propane. You should also learn some grill-focused recipes, so your family doesn’t end up eating hamburgers every night.
Even people who love the summer heat prefer living in climate-controlled homes. This summer, follow these four eco-friendly ways to keep your home comfortable even during the hottest months. You’ll save money, help protect the environment, and create a refuge from rising temperatures.
