Planet Earth keeps on heating up. Every year gets hotter, or at least since scientists started recording temperatures. People have been hurt from climate-related causes, so it’s more important than ever to stay cool when the weather heats up. If you want your home to stay cooler, read about these ideas. Maybe one of them will spark your interest.
Run fans instead of AC
If you can add an extra fan or two and keep the AC off (if you don’t need it), you can get some cross-ventilation going. Think of the air bouncing around like the pool ball in a game of pool. Create a path for the air to flow through your home. Push the hot air out if possible, by lining up the fans, letting the hot air bounce out the window or door.
Use dehumidifiers if your air is moist
If you’ve ever lived in a humid climate, you know that moist air feels hotter. You can tell how humid your home is if the word moist makes you feel a little icky. 80 degrees can feel like 100 degrees if there’s humidity! While we all love our houseplants, they can make the air a little too humid. Pull out some of that humidity with a dehumidifier. Here’s some more info about dehumidifiers from Consumer Reports.
Unplug unused electronics
Do you even use that printer any more? Why not unplug it? How about all those weird appliances you bought during the last online sale? Unplug that electric mustache curler, the voice-activated espresso machine, and electric egg cookers. Your power bill will thank you, and your home will stay just a little cooler. And consider decluttering and getting rid of some of those appliances if you don’t use them!
On a similar note, spring is over, but you still might like our article about spring cleaning.
Swap out your light bulbs
Trade your old incandescents for some newer LED bulbs. LED bulbs generate less heat. Did you know that one incandescent light bulb can give out more heat than light? And that the incandescent bulbs are only 2.1% efficient according to this article from North American Power? That means that “for every 100 watt light bulb, only two of those watts is actually being turned into light. The rest is being turned into heat.”
Check your ceiling fan
Is your fan running in the right direction? If not, the hot air might be getting pushed down, causing everything to stay warmer. In the summer, change your ceiling fan so that the blades turn counterclockwise. This article from Home Depot tells you how. Then once the temperature is cooler, change the direction of the ceiling fan blades once again.
Invest in window film
Window film can definitely help, especially on those windows that get the most sun! We’ve written a lot about window film and its ability to keep your home, office, or school cooler. Why not try it? Here’s one of our most recent articles Will New Window Film Improve Your Summer Plans?
Ready for a cooler home?
You can fill out our Quick Residential Estimate form if you need us to install some window film. Give us a call and we can help keep you and your home much cooler. We’d love to help you choose the best film. We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the San Mateo Peninsula and Marin–and have expanded into southern California, too! Give us a call at 415.623.8700.
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