Keeping Things Cool During Warmer Months

We know keeping things cool can actually be more difficult than keeping things warm. Where insulation, a heating system and an open flame (even turning the oven on!) can turn things up a notch, making sure your home stays cool can be a real challenge. Here are some techniques you can try for keeping things cool at home:

Central AC

A central AC seems to be the easiest solution when it comes to keeping your house cool during hotter months. The bills can become costly especially when you are living in an area where the temperatures exceed 80 degrees or more. Set your temperature in your home to only 5 degrees cooler than the temperature outside. It may not be icy cold, but it will certainly nip the heat in the butt for the hours spent inside.

Do not opt for window air conditioners

Many have to be run all day and night, barely keeping the room, especially not the entire house, cooled off. Having a window AC unit in multiple rooms and even in every room in the house will cost more in the long run because hot air seeps through the cracks and crevices forcing the window AC unit to run longer in order to simply keep a room at an inhabitable temperature. Additionally, they are a total eyesore. More importantly, when the warmer months begin again, you will have to remove, store and then redo the AC when temperatures increase.

Solar Panels

Solar panels in areas that have long months with high temperatures exceeding 80 degrees or more may benefit from solar panels. Solar panels, unless paid out-right, typically have several fees including the installation and actual purchasing of the panels themselves. However, if you live in an area where your electric company will compensate you by installing them, you will receive both immediate and long-term benefits from having solar panels.

Some electric companies do not care if you install solar panels. Meaning, they won’t give you any sort of significant discount in your electric bill by utilizing the power of the sun by having them. Even with solar panels, you still pay through the electric company, a truth often hidden by solar power companies. Be sure to research thoroughly and carefully, to ensure you will be saving yourself from paying more than you could be. They will help keep costs down if you live in a location that can use the additional resource.

Cross-Breeze Windows

This is a large part of mid-century modern architecture. Cross-breeze windows are windows that are built into the infrastructure of the home, strategically placed (often in the corners of where the walls meet) so when opened, they create a cross-breeze that naturally cools down your home. The windows open vertically as opposed to horizontally (seek sliding vertical windows for a seamless style). This allows the air to flow out from and through the window corners creating a direct and targeted passageway that cools down your home. An open floor plan without obstructions such as walls or bulky furnishings helps. This mid-century modern architectural technique can be imitated by slightly, but not fully, opening your windows to create a cross-breeze and minimizing on large, bulky furniture (room to floor or floor to ceiling designs) that obstruct entranceways and pathways to other rooms in your home.

Dry-ice Containers

This home cooling technique is for those who have no other alternative to keeping their home cool. Please take precaution when handling dry-ice. When dry-ice evaporates, it can cool down a room by absorbing heat. Than it radiates CO2, which is much colder than the room itself, therefore keeping things cool. However, in smaller spaces, the amount of CO2 may not be entirely beneficial to your health. You can use a fan to spread the cool air around the room, or you can use coils with dry ice instead. Although an alternative way to cool down a home, it is a great solution incase your AC breaks down or there are unforeseen hot temperatures.

Keeping things cool during hot summer months can make us lethargic, tired and downright miserable. Know how to keep you and your home cooler for those warm summer days when you just can’t beat the heat.