9 Tips to Stay Cool at Home this Summer

I woke up this morning and realized summer finally is here; the air is so dense you feel like you can reach out and grab a chunk of it.  A day like today is very stressful, except for maybe those few crazy people I'll see jogging outside at noon today.  The heat stresses your body, it stresses your air conditioner, and it  stresses your pocketbook with increased energy bills.   Read this post and you might just be able to relieve all three of those stresses.

Here are 9 tips to stay cool, save money on your energy bill & keep you A/C running smoothly

1. Set your A/C in the 70-78 range & leave it alone.  On extremely hot days, running the A/C at a really low temperature will put a tremendous amount of stress on your A/C and also increase your utility bill (when it's 90 outside, 74 inside feels great).


2. If you have a fan, use it.  Fans use about the same amount of energy as a light bulb.  Though a fan doesn't actually cool the air, it does help circulate the air and makes for a more comfortable experience.


3. Close your blinds when the sun is beating down on your windows


4. Make sure your windows are completely closed.  An open window will let in a lot of heat.


5.  Make sure your air vents are not blocked by a rug or furniture.  Also, make sure the air vents you want open have not been closed


6. If you have a home with multiple levels, in the summer you'll want to completely open the air vents in your upper level and close or partially close the air vents on your main level.  You can also close or partially close vents in rooms that you do not use very much.


7. It can take up to 1 hour to change the air temperature in your home by 1 degree.  So if you walk into your home with the temp at 78 degrees and you turn it down to 72, it can take up to 6 hours to reach 72.  I'd  recommend leaving your A/C set at a relatively comfortable level even when you are not home.


8. If your Thermostat is reading a temperature a few degrees different then where you've set it, it's probably OK. If you've set your A/C to a reasonable temp (70-78) and the actual temp is reading 4+ degrees higher then what you've set it at, you might have an issue.


9. Even if you plan to leave your home for a few days or weeks, do not completely turn off your A/C.  Keep it at 78 or 80.  It is important for air to flow in your home to keep moisture low.

If all else fails, go the pool!

If you have other tips for staying cool this summer, please comment below.