We are in the midst of a cruel heat wave – one of the longest and nastiest we can remember! It means that going outside for even just a few minutes is painful and leaves sweat dripping down your forehead. Hopefully, your home is a place where you can stay cool…so here are some tips to make sure that stays true for the whole summer!
- Provide effective shade for your windows – especially on the east and west sides of your home.
- Delay heat-generating activities (laundry, dish-washing) until evening if you can.
- Keep the house tightly closed. Make sure doors are closed all the way, and windows, too. It’s easy for them to open a crack, and when it’s 100 degrees outside, that make a big difference.
- Ventilate at night if needed. When the temp is cooler, open windows for a cross breeze and have fans running in the window sills. This will get that unwanted hot air out of the home.
- For long-term solutions plant shade trees around the house.
- Don’t use a demudifier at the same time as the air conditioner. It will force the air conditioner to work harder, as it increases the cooling load.
- Seal all ducts and other cracks to un-cooled parts of the home.
- Maintain your air conditions to make sure they run properly and effectively.
- Get white curtains and close them during the day…this will still allow some natural light but blocks a good amount of the heat.
What tips do you use to keep the house cool during these intense heat waves?