20 Tips to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer

Spring and summer are great times to relax outside, whether you're a fan of good old fashioned barbeques, or a cool dip in the pool.  But summer is also the time when electric bills can be at their worse.  So here are 20 free tips to help you keep your home cool this summer.

1. Keep windows and doors closed during the day.  There's nothing wrong with opening windows at night, but avoid letting heat and humidity into your house while the sun is out.

2. Your clothes dryer generates heat.  If possible, put off using it until night or early in the morning.

3. Use ceiling fans to cool you off and circulate air throughout rooms.

4. Plant shade trees around your home in order to block sunlight.

5. When shopping for an air conditioner, make sure that it's the right size.  Check with an air conditioner contractor or service company to find out if it will properly cool a home of your size.

6. Check to see if your air conditioner ducts are sealed, and add insulation outside of any ducts that run through your hot attic.

7. Turn off window unit air conditioners in rooms that aren't being used.

8. Adding mini-blinds to your windows can help reduce solar heat by 50%.

9. If a window directly faces the rising sun, make sure you keep the curtains closed early in the day.  In the afternoon, do the same for any windows that face the setting sun.

10. In the summer, clean your air conditioner's air filter once a month.  Even a little dust can reduce the amount of air flow that you get.

11. As long as you don't block air flow, shading your outdoor air conditioning compressor can keep incoming air up to 10% cooler.

12. Use a microwave instead of a regular oven to keep your home's temperature down.

13. Instead of using a dishwasher, which can generate heat, consider letting your dishes air-dry.

14. Keep TV sets and lamps away from your thermostat.  Both generate heat, and can trick your AC system into running more than it has to.

15. Are you the only person in the house right now?  Use a portable fan to cool just one or two people off, if you're in just one room for the moment.

16. Light bulbs generate heat, so consider turning off lights during the hottest points of the day (3-6PM).

17. If you have an old central air conditioner, consider replacing the compressor.  Air conditioning units lose a great deal of efficiency over time.

18. If you live in a humid area, shop for an air conditioner that get rid of high humidity that would otherwise get into your home.

19. Have your air conditioning unit serviced by a professional at least once a year.

20. Have your home treated with spray foam insulation.  Doing so can greatly cool it off, plus reduce your electric bill by as much as 50%.

These free tips are from Advanced Foam Insulation of Louisiana.  If you have a home or business in Louisiana, call us today or click here for more free info on how spray foam insulation can improve your quality of life.