6 Tips to Keep Your House Cool in the Summer Heat

It’s been a hot summer in Nashville and across the country. While we’ve seen some breaks in the heat, plenty of hot days and weeks are still ahead. This heat can put a major strain on your air conditioning and make it difficult to keep your house cool. Plus, rising utility costs have made this summer particularly challenging for homeowners.

While you can’t do anything about the heat or cost of utilities, the good news is that you can do things to keep your house cooler on the hottest days. Here are 6 tips to help keep your home more comfortable, take pressure off of your AC unit, and reduce your utility bills.

Keep Window Coverings Closed

While everyone loves natural light, you need to keep it out during the summer months. Closing all windows and blinds, especially during the hottest part of the day, will help to keep your home cooler. If you don’t have coverings on all windows, consider investing in quality shades or blackout curtains to keep your home cooler and more energy efficient.

Use Ceiling Fans

Fans can be a great way to circulate cool air and make your house more comfortable. During the summer months, make sure that the fans are rotating counter-clockwise. Not only will this push cool air down, but it will also make you feel more comfortable in your home even at higher temperatures.

Seal All Openings

If you have gaps around windows and doors, you could be letting lots of hot air in and cold air out. Obviously, this makes it hard and inefficient to keep your home cool. In some cases, it might be worth upgrading doors or windows. If not, utilize weather stripping and caulk to seal any openings.

Close off Rooms You Don’t Use Everyday

If there are portions of your house that you don’t use consistently, close them off whenever possible. When you do, you’ll want to turn off the vents to that space too. Even if you only do this during the hottest part of the day, it will help to keep the high-traffic areas of your house cooler.

Add Shade Around Your House

One great way to keep your house cooler is to limit the amount of sun that it gets. Planting trees or plants around windows can help to add shade and keep your house cool. In addition, consider where you can add an awning or covering to reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches your home.

Change Air Filters Consistently

The air filters in your HVAC system trap dirt and allergens and keep these particles from circulating throughout your home. However, over time filters become dirty and can become clogged. When this happens, your AC won’t cool as well and the filter won’t work as effectively.

To avoid these problems, it’s important to regularly replace the air filters in your HVAC system. As a general rule, filters should be replaced every 90 days, but if you have pets or family members with allergies, you might want to replace filters every 45-60 days.

Keep Your House Cool and Clean

These tips should help to make your house a little more comfortable this summer. One final tip for staying cool this summer: let someone else handle your house cleaning! At Nashville Brighthouse, we offer quality and reliable cleaning services. Contact us today to schedule a one-time cleaning or regular maid service. And, right now first-time customers can get 10% off their first cleaning. You can’t beat that savings while you’re beating the heat!

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For more tips on how to keep your house cool during the summer heat from down under, visit this article in Good Living!