Given the high cost of home cooling, getting through the summer with your finances intact can be an uphill battle. This is particularly true in the case of households that run their air conditioning around the clock. While there’s no denying the necessity of AC in certain parts of the country, making it your only home cooling aid is practically guaranteed to cost you big. Anyone looking to make it through the summer season without putting a sizable hole in their finances would do well to consider the following hacks.
Embrace Ceiling Fans
Using ceiling fans to their full potential can make your home a much cooler place to be this summer. So, if your residence is currently in need of high-quality ceiling fans, now is the perfect time to do some fan shopping. The right ceiling fans can deftly circulate cool air from your AC throughout your entire time – provided, of course, reliable fans are installed in every key area. You can also enable ceiling fans to produce cool breezes that flow directly downward by adjusting their blades to turn counterclockwise.
Given how many sizes and styles ceiling fans come in, finding the right fans for your home shouldn’t prove bothersome in the slightest. For example, if you’re looking for something to complement your sleek, modern décor, look into purchasing a modern ceiling fan.
Properly Maintain Your AC System
A dependable air conditioning system is far from a small investment. Considering how much money reliable AC is likely to run you, it’s only fitting that you’d want to get the most out of it and provide it with the longest lifespan possible. That being the case, you should make a point of committing to regular maintenance visits. At least once a year, your air conditioning system should be thoroughly inspected by experienced heating and cooling professionals. Furthermore, depending on the age and general condition of your AC, how often it’s used, and the type of climate you live in, multiple visits per year may be required. This will help ensure that any small problems are caught and remedied before larger, costlier issues arise.
Of course, this isn’t to say that yearly maintenance visits will prevent every type of problem imaginable. Should you encounter any issues with your AC, take care to have them addressed immediately. The longer you allow them to linger, the more consequential they’re likely to prove. Not wanting to spend money on maintenance and repairs is understandable, but refusing to do so will ultimately entail spending more down the line.
Sun-Guard Your Windows
While the sun can serve as a great source of natural light, it can also contribute to uncomfortably warm indoor temperatures. If you’re interested in preventing this, take care to sun-guard your windows. There are a number of easy ways to go about them, none of which should prove prohibitively expensive.
For starters, you can outfit your windows with blackout drapes. As you may have inferred from the name, these drapes are designed for the express purpose of keeping excessive sunlight at bay. High-quality blackout drapes can minimize the amount of sunlight that finds its way into your home, thereby helping you regulate temps more effectively. Additionally, if you sleep most comfortably in complete darkness, it stands to reason that you’re not a fan of how early the sun rises during the summer months. If this is indeed the case, good blackout drapes can also be a boon to your sleep schedule.
If you’re not up for replacing your drapes, blackout screens are another effective – and cost-effective – option. Although these screens generally cost less than blackout drapes, they often aren’t as dependable or long-lasting – especially the stick-on variety. Still, if you’re okay with replacing them once or twice a year, blackout screens may be the sun-blocking solution for you.
It’s easy to see why so many people view cooling a residence without AC as an impossible undertaking. After all, if your goal is to cool down your home as quickly as possible, a dependable air conditioning system can oblige. Furthermore, there are certain points throughout the summer at which AC use may prove essential. However, as convenient as it is, air conditioning can prove quite expensive, particularly if it’s run 24/7. So, if you’re looking to give the AC – and your finances – a break this summer, put the previously discussed cooling hacks to good use.
