How to Quickly Cool Your Home During a Heatwave

07/19/23

Summer has a lot of fun activities, but it also comes with some sweltering heat that can make your home virtually unlivable. Even with a great air conditioning system, you could still have uncomfortable temperatures that won’t let up.

Check out these tips to quickly cool your home during a heatwave and keep yourself comfortable.

Help Your Air Conditioner Be Efficient

Many people try to cool their homes by dropping the thermostat on their air conditioner to pump out more cool air. Unfortunately, this won’t help your home cool down, as there’s a limit to how much your air conditioner can do when it’s that hot outside. It’s better to set your thermostat for about 68 to 72 degrees, so you’ll be cooler without taxing your system.

Use Fans to Help

Ceiling fans and standing fans don’t use as much energy as an air conditioner, but they also don’t cool as much. Still, you can use your fans to circulate the conditioned air and help your room cool down while giving your air conditioner a little relief. Be sure to run fans in a counterclockwise direction to help you cool through evaporation.

Close Off Unused Rooms

If you’re not using your entire home, take the time to close off the unused rooms or bathrooms and close the vents to allow the cool air to stay in the occupied areas. This may even reduce the overall temperature in your home by making your air conditioner more effective.

Don’t Use the Appliances if You Don’t Have To

All appliances generate heat, so it’s best to limit their use while you’re dealing with excess heat. The oven is the biggest issue, as it generates so much heat during cooking. You may want to grill outside or get takeout.

You should also turn off the devices you’re not using, including your laptop, television, and video game system. Other appliances that tend to generate a lot of heat are the dishwasher and washing machine, which also add humidity. Try your best to hold off on chores until the heat wave lets up.

Use Ice Water

Placing bowls of ice water in front of your fans can help you circulate more cool air throughout your home, reducing the ambient temperature. If you have to cool a lot of space, set up a few bowls of ice water to beat the heat.

Block the Sun

Sunshine coming in through the windows adds a lot of heat to your home. Closing the shades or blinds can help you cut back on this excess heat during a heat wave. Before air conditioners were invented, this was one of the ways to keep homes cool.

Freeze a Hot Water Bottle

A hot water bottle is a cozy comfort when the temperature gets frigid. In summer, it can serve a similar purpose. You can freeze water in your hot water bottle to place under your sheets and keep your room cooler throughout the night.

Rely on Extra Bedsheets

Bedsheets have a lot of uses in the middle of a heat wave. You can freeze your sheets before you go to bed to cool it off. Take them out right before you go to sleep and put them on the bed, giving yourself a chance to lower your body temperature to drift into a comfortable sleep.

Not only that, but a damp bedsheet is a great way to cool the room. Hang damp sheets in front of fans or windows to add more cool air to the space and reduce the temperature.

Crack a Bedroom Window

If your room gets stuffy, especially in the heat, cracking a window is a good way to get air circulating. Do this a few hours before bed and set up a fan to create even more airflow. You may even want to sleep with multiple fans to keep yourself from overheating.

Use Lights Sparingly

Light bulbs always generate heat, though some are better than others. LED lights are the best choice, but in general, you should avoid using excess lighting when it’s hot in your home. Once the sun sets, turn on only the lights you need to avoid generating more heat.

Evaluate Your Air Conditioner

Air conditioners are one of the most important appliances during the hot summer months. If you want to be prepared, get a tune up for your air conditioner in the off season to make sure it’s up for the job. Minor repairs or maintenance tasks should be completed before your air conditioner has the tough work.

Is your air conditioner getting old or losing efficiency? They’re only designed to last about 10 or 15 years, so you may be better off upgrading to newer model that’s more efficient. This is also a good thing to do before the summer season starts.

Is it time for a tune up or new air conditioner? Contact the pros at HELP to see how we can help!

Posted in: Air Conditioning