The scorching heat of summer can cause any homeowner to crank up the air conditioning throughout the day’s end. But while this does offer a significant level of indoor comfort, receiving an electric bill that’s worth ten times more than the usual can be painful to say the least. It can be hard to find the right balance between energy consumption and optimal internal climate, but these simple tips should let you cool your home this summer without an air conditioner. That’s right – you can make your space cool and comfortable minus the crazy electricity costs.
Adjust the Ceiling Fan
During the colder seasons, ceiling fans are set to spin clockwise. This allows it to pull cold hair up and away from the space, and push hot air down towards the floor. During the summer however, ceiling fans should be set to spin counter clockwise which pushes cold air down and pull warm air up. Make sure you perform this minor adjustment to help your home regulate the heat.
Buy Additional Fans
While fans don’t actually create cold air the same way air conditioners do, they are very capable of bringing hot temperatures down by circulating air and providing a cool breeze. What’s more, they can be a lot cheaper to operate. Consider buying more fans – whether standing or on the ceiling – to keep air in constant motion.
Window Treatments
One of the reasons why houses become so hot in the summer is because people fail to make use of the right window treatments to block out the sun coming in from windows. Blinds, curtains, and shades are great at filtering heat and shielding your house from absorbing too much of the sun’s warmth.
Better Lighting
Your light bulbs don’t only affect your electricity bill, they also create heat which can significantly make a space warmer. Toss out the incandescent and fluorescents and opt to buy LEDs and CFLs instead. Not only are they much cooler to use, but they also consume much less energy to bring that bill even lower the next time it comes around.
Ventilation
Cooking, ironing, and even doing the laundry can increase indoor temperatures to uncomfortable levels. When these tasks are underway, make sure you get rid of the heat they generate and ventilate the space immediately to dissipate warmth. A fan, open windows, or a hood over your stove could make a big difference during these heat-generating activities.
Take Advantage of the Night
At night, temperature is a lot cooler, so make sure you allow that cool night breeze to travel through your home and relieve it of the day’s warmth. Use fans to circulate air and leave some windows open to let cool air in.
At Theberge Homes, we want you to have a cool, happy summer in your new townhome or new condo in Ottawa!
