If you have been on any social media channels, you have probably seen a post or two that says, “I went outside today and saw two Hobbits throw a ring in my backyard.” Or “This summer, don’t forget to hydrate and don’t go back outside until November.”
In addition to humor, most of us try to escape this heat by heading indoors to our air-conditioned homes. But after a while, we begin to notice that our house is not as cool as it should be.
Our first instinct is to adjust the thermostat, but that might not be the wisest decision. Here are some valuable tips from Houselogic.com on how to “Beat the Heat Inside Your Home” this summer.
Know your household’s habits and goals. So, even though some people turn their AC way down at night to save money, you may have a hard time sleeping when it’s hot. “So, having a lower temperature at night might actually make sense,” Richardson says.
Wait to lower the AC after the first time. If you’re uncomfortably warm after lowering the AC, wait a while before going into panic mode and turning the setting down a few more times. An HVAC system takes a long time to respond to changes in a thermostat. The temperature in the house has to adjust to not just the air, but also heat from the sun, the leakiness of the home, and the temperature of the walls and objects like furniture and rugs.
Limit your activities to areas of your house that tend to be the coolest. Those could be rooms with fewer windows or downstairs, where it’s typically cooler. That will help you avoid the uneven temperatures that are almost inevitable in a house. “The thermostat is reading one temperature in one part of the house, and it’s tough to get that temperature evenly distributed across the entire building,” he says.
Consider mini-splits. These heating and cooling systems allow you to control the temperatures in individual rooms or spaces without ductwork. “It’s sort of twice the size of a breadbox and sticks on a wall,” Richardson says. “It provides airflow in just that room. It’s like zoning, only way better.” You need a box in each room, but you can set the temperature in one room at, say, 68 degrees and in another room at 78.
Set your thermostat so the fan runs more frequently. If you have an Ecobee or a Nest, you can set the fan to run continuously. “When you have a forced air system, oftentimes the hot air rises. so you get a really warm second floor. But if you run the fan, you can be cycling the air throughout the entire house, which creates a much more even temperature.
With all these tips in mind, I hope you can beat the heat this summer, no matter how hot it gets outside. Remember, a few smart adjustments can go a long way in improving your comfort and potentially saving on energy costs. So, keep your cool and make your home a sanctuary from the summer heat. Stay hydrated, cool, and enjoy a breezy, comfortable summer indoors! That's Who We R®.