With summer on the way, the weather is improving quickly. Warmer outdoor temperatures can cause the indoor temperature of your home to increase, requiring your air conditioner to work harder to keep your living space comfortable. If your air conditioner isn't running efficiently, or you're waiting to have it repaired, here are 5 tips for cooling down the rooms in your home:
1. Close and cover your windows during certain times of the day. If evenings and mornings are cooler outside, you can open screened windows to let in the comfortable air. Once temperatures start to rise, close the windows and the blinds or curtains that decorate them. Keeping sunlight from coming through the windows will keep your rooms cooler.
2. Close the interior doors. Keeping your home darker, with interior doors closed tight, can help keep any excess heat from moving throughout the home.
3. Crank up (or install) ceiling fans. Ceiling fans move the air throughout a home, helping to cool it down. Make sure the blades rotate counter-clockwise during summer.
4. Install a whole-house fan. A whole-house fan is usually installed in a hallway, with a vent that allows the hot air to be sucked out of the home when the fan is running.
5. Adjust the timing of your cooking. When it's warm outside, use the stove in the morning or later in the evening to keep from adding to an already-warm kitchen. Try other methods of cooking, like a sous vide system or a crockpot, which don't put out a lot of heat.
To make further strides against the warm summers in Illinois, you can also create additional outdoor protection from the sun. Adding outdoor awnings, covering a porch or deck, and planting shade trees will help keep your air conditioning costs down and the rooms in your home much cooler.
