It’s summer, and you’re probably feeling the heat. But don’t worry—we have a few tips on how you can keep your house cool in the summer. Whether you’re looking to save money or reduce your energy consumption, these are some easy-to-follow tips that will help you keep your home nice and cool when the temperatures outside are soaring. Consider the following information.
Use Insulated Curtains and Light-Colored Paint on Your Walls
One way to reduce heat gain in your home is by installing insulated curtains. Interior window shades block out up to 95% of all external glare (mainly from UV rays) and insulate your home against the outdoor temperature in summer.
Sunlight still shines through windows treated with these products, but much less ultraviolet radiation will enter the space. This results in greater privacy and more comfortable conditions for interior spaces, even on hot days.
This is the same case with walls. Some will keep out more heat than others, so you might opt for light colors on your walls or something to reflect away as much sun as possible. The color black absorbs all heat and light, making it a much less desirable color for summer living conditions.
Try Blinds with Metal Coils Instead of Plastic Ones
Metal coils attached to blinds are great insulators for windows and keep hot air out of your home. This is especially good if you have a porch or patio where lots of sunlight can come in. This measure will help keep your home cool during the summer months while reducing heat transfer into your living room or bedroom from outside.
Glassdoor inserts are also great for this purpose. Anything that has metal coils built inside it to prevent temperature exchange outdoors should do the trick. If you’re shopping for glass doors online, be sure to read reviews as well as look at product photos before making a purchase. Some types of glass may let more heat in than others, so check thoroughly before buying!
Using blinds made of a material like vinyl instead of cloth can help achieve similar results, and they don’t need replacement as much since they’re more resistant to wear and tear.
Use a Cold Food Appliance to Draw in Outdoor Air for Cooling Purposes
There are special appliances that take room temperature and cool it down using refrigerant coils. They work like standard household AC units, albeit much more slowly. This means that one appliance should be able to keep an area of your home cool.
The appliance will be able to cool the air without constantly having to run to compensate for increased heat over time, like other methods such as window tinting or blinds with metal coils. They’re also good because they produce very little noise while working, so you can use them at night while sleeping without any problems.
“Icebox” appliances take the room’s temperature and cool it down at a reduced rate. At the same time, “freezers” maintain a specific temperature that is usually around -15 °C (5 °F) or colder, which will make it feel about 5-10 °C (9-18 °F) on average cooler to the touch being in the same room.
Use Portable AC Unit
The portable AC unit is one of the most important inventions for summer comfort. If you live in a humid climate, this device can relieve the heat and humidity that are so typical during these months.
Here’s how it works: A fan blows air over coils containing refrigerant gas with liquid coolant inside them. This process removes air moisture, decreasing its temperature to below room temperature (or cooler than outside).
The cooled air is then blown into your home by another fan and distributed around through vents or diffusers on walls or ceilings. It doesn’t matter where you place these devices; they will work just as well if placed near an open window as they would in the center of a room because their cooling power is enough to reach the entire room. Similarly, you may use the best through-the-wall air conditioners for a more focused cooling.
Use Evaporative Coolers
The evaporative cooler is an affordable, practical solution for keeping your house cool during the summer months. These devices work by venting moist, hot air in a room through a wet filter or pad. When the moisture-laden air reaches the cooler outside air, it releases its heat and humidity as water vapor into the atmosphere.
This process creates a cooling effect similar to what you experience when taking a shower or spending time outdoors on a humid day.
A typical installation of an evaporative cooler costs just $300-$500 depending on size and features, and you can install it in about two hours without any special skills needed (or much noise). It’s also easy to use: turn it on before entering your home, open windows where possible, and use fans to circulate the cool air.
As a bonus, with all the cool air coming in, you won’t have to crank up your AC as much, which will save even more money on your energy bill (up to 15% if you go from using no cooler). It’s also a safe way to keep those dry, hot summer days at bay.
If you’re concerned about mold growth or dampness resulting from evaporative cooling, models are available that feature heated pads and other features designed for health-conscious use. Alternatively, a dehumidifier will do a better job.
Just don’t expect the same level of comfort in humid weather conditions as you would with an AC unit, or it may be challenging to switch back over when fall rolls around. But overall, evaporative coolers are an excellent option for frugal summer comfort.
Close Off Rooms You’re Not Using
Closing off some rooms that you’ll be less likely to occupy during the hotter months is a great way to conserve energy for cooling down those areas of your house.
Alternatively, you can choose to turn on some extra fans in these less-used spaces to maximize the ventilation throughout the house. The best window fans work perfectly well for this task. If you have an entire level of your home that is not in use such as a guest floor or basement, consider closing it down altogether until cooler weather makes its return again. This is also a good option if there are rooms where nobody will be sleeping, such as living or family rooms.
Switch Out Your Curtains
If you want to know how to keep your house cool in the summer, switching out your curtains for lighter materials with more airflow can help lower the temperature. It will also reduce any heat that is coming into your home.
Lighter fabrics allow increased sunlight into your home, which has the dual effect of cooling your house down and allowing light to penetrate the darker interior spaces. Not only do curtains create a lighter ambiance for social gatherings, but they also provide privacy from onlookers when you need it most.
Keep Blinds Closed During the Day
If you’re using blinds in your windows, be sure to close them when it’s too hot outside. If you have a window that doesn’t need cooling, you may want to leave the blinds open and turn on fans near it. Window blinds can block a lot of airflow around your house, which can keep the heat trapped and stop air-conditioned rooms from cooling down.
Close Off Exterior Vents
These vents are usually located near the perimeter of your home under eaves or AC units, and you should close them when it’s not in use.
You don’t want to block any airflow completely, but if they’re exposed to direct sunlight, then hot air will build up inside because there isn’t anywhere for that extra energy to escape. Closing these vents also helps insulate against noise by preventing it from entering or leaving a room—useful for those who enjoy sleeping with the TV on at night (like me).
One caveat is that this method can prevent outside odors like smoke and the smell of a grill from entering your home. It’s also possible to block these vents in cold weather and cause too much air conditioning, wasting energy.
Use Ceiling Fans to Cool Rooms Down
Ceiling fans are a great way to keep your house feeling cool, even while you’re using energy to run appliances like the AC. Ceiling fans work naturally because when you turn them on, the blades of the fan spin and force hot air up into the ceiling. Some people say that if you set your ceiling fans to rotate counter clockwise in the summer, it creates a cooler breeze.
When cooler air from outside comes into contact with this warm air, it cools down as it falls to the floor. It’s also important to note that you should always use ceiling fans with other means of keeping the home temperature down.
This includes window tinting or cold air appliances. If there isn’t enough energy for cooling, ceiling fans move warm air around without really providing any benefit. Using a ceiling fan instead of your AC can save you about $100 per year in energy costs. Get to know the best outdoor ceiling fans to cool your home patio, garage, poolside areas, and other outside spaces this summer.
Keep the Windows Closed During the Day
It’s a good idea to keep your windows closed during the day and keep them open in the evening when it cools down outside. You can use reflective window film or curtains to help reduce the amount of heat coming through. This won’t prevent heat loss completely, but it can help reduce the cooling load on your home at a fraction of the cost.
Avoid Using the Oven and Stovetop as Much as Possible
Cooking and baking can create a lot of heat in your kitchen and produce an unpleasant odor that will get dispersed throughout your house. When it’s too hot outside, one way to keep your home cool is by using the oven or stovetop less. If you need to use the stove or oven, make sure that you turn on the exhaust fan and windows and try not to cook anything outside what’s necessary. Otherwise grilling outside will be advisable as it reduces heat in the house.
Turn Off Lights
In the summer, it’s essential to turn off lights as much as possible to keep your house from getting warmer. Turning off lights also encourages natural light sources, which are better for your health than any form of artificial lighting.
Unlike artificial lighting, natural light offers a full spectrum of colors that increases vitamin D absorption and has an anti-depressant effect on the human body. Natural light also reduces eye strain and prevents sleep disorders like insomnia [1].
Plant Foliage
Planting foliage around your home can help keep it cool in the summer, even without artificial cooling methods. This is because plants produce heat-absorbing chemicals called phytochromes which provide shade from direct sunlight.
It also reduces excess light reflection from windows (and other surfaces). When you place these plants near exterior vents or other sources of airflow, they will also increase airflow by providing more surface area for the wind to pass over. This will help cool your home without making permanent changes to your living space or increasing your energy bill.
Change Your Air Filters Regularly
Air filters on air purifiers help keep your home cool in the summer by trapping dust, dirt, and other particles that would otherwise circulate in the air.
Keeping your filter clean is a great way to maintain the quality of the air you’re breathing. Dirty filters can also cause higher energy bills because they reduce airflow. This means more work for your AC unit and increased chances of heat build-up inside your home.
So, make sure to change or replace your filters regularly—or at least once per month if you live in an area with heavy pollen or pet dander like I do. This small step can help keep beat the summer heat!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I keep my house cool without AC?
The air conditioner is the most popular way to keep your house cool in the summer, but many alternatives exist.
One option is to use an evaporative cooler. This type of cooler uses a fan and a water-soaked pad to circulate air through the home on hot days.
If you don’t have an air conditioner but want to keep your house cooler in the summer, avoid smoky cooking foods on the stove.
How do I keep my house cool all day?
Open windows at night or during the morning hours to let in breezes.
Turn off all lights, and for the rooms that are not in use, shut their doors to minimize heat entry into your leaving space.
How do you keep your house cool in a heatwave?
Close blinds or curtains on Windows, vents, and skylights. Install shading devices like window screens or exterior overhangs to reduce direct sunlight through windows in the summer.
How do I make my house colder?
There are many ways to make your house colder, but use a window AC unit if you want to get it cold REAL QUICK. These machines can freeze the air around you and give you relief from the heat before a summer day even cools down. An AC system will remove both humidity and warmth from the air inside your home, making your home much more comfortable on those humid days when it’s hard to breathe outside as well.
