As summer approaches you begin to daydream about warm evenings and enjoying a nice cool beverage while you kick your feet up on your patio. But if you fail to prepare your house for rising temperatures, it may become very expensive to live there comfortably. Knowing how to prepare for the summer heat with these easy to follow guidelines will help you prepare your home to effectively combat the upcoming summer heat without frivolously spending a fortune to stay cool.
Effective Ways to Prep Your Home for an Energy-Efficient Summer
1. Upgrade Your Insulation
Cranking up the air conditioner is not the key to beating the sweltering heat during the summer. In fact, you can reduce how often you run you’re A/C and still keep your home cool by making upgrading your insulation.
The insulation in your walls is designed to keep cool air from escaping and will also prevent stifling hot air from coming through your drywall materials. Effective insulation has high ratings (R-values) and is approved by EnergyStar.
Add insulation with a higher R-value to help keep the cool air in your home and the hot air out.
2. Prep your Air Conditioner
It is important to service your air conditioner. A filthy air conditioner is far from efficient. After months of being neglected, as summer approaches, you need to spend some time pampering your air conditioner so it blows the coldest possible air into your home. In the winter and spring months, your filters will become clogged with debris, which will make the motor in your A/C work harder than it needs to. Begin by cleaning around the unit, replacing or vacuuming out the clogged filters, and giving your unit the bath it deserves after a hard winter. After all, the air conditioner will be the workhorse that keeps you comfortable throughout the summer.
3. Automate Your Home
There’s nothing worse than working all day long and then coming home to a hot and stuffy house. To prevent that situation if you don’t have a programmable thermostat, you must run your air conditioner all day long just to feel that cool blast of air when you return home. For the majority of the day, you are paying for cooling that no one is using.
The best solution to this problem is to invest in a programmable thermostat and automate the temperature settings in your home. Keep the temperature higher while you are away and program the unit to kick on an hour before you expect to get home. That way you’ll save money without sacrificing comfort.
4. Shade
When the sun is beating directly on your windows, it raises the temperature inside your home significantly. By installing awnings and adjustable window shades over your windows you can lower the heat level in your home without paying for additional energy. This will allow you to enjoy the view without the heat from the sun’s rays.
To best prepare for the summer months, be sure your home as efficient as possible. Remember to service your AC in advance, be resourceful and have some eco-friendly technology in place. Summer will soon be your favorite season of the year.
