A Stay-at-Home Summer Can Add Up Quickly
Summertime is celebrated for a variety of joyous reasons across the nation. For example, the weather is generally immaculate, the kids are off from school (no homework — hooray!), and you can spend more time enjoying the great outdoors with your family. However, this summer, you may find yourself spending more time at home than you did in previous years — and because of this, your cooling costs may soar to new heights.
That being said, to keep comfortable all season long, here are some helpful tips to keep you and your loved ones cool on an efficient level.
Pro Tips for Staying Cool for Less
Utilize Your Grill
One activity that is synonymous with summer is hosting a barbeque! While you might not be able to host your annual gathering with all of your friends and family in one place this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t use your grill to cook dinner outdoors — no matter what day of the week it may be!
Believe it or not, when you cook using your stovetop indoors, the burners emit heat, not only to your cookware but to your home; the heat travels, causing the temperature to increase. And typically, as a result, you’ll feel inclined to adjust the temperature on your thermostat to cool down your humble abode.
However, to avoid this from happening, consider using your barbeque more often — any heat that radiates from it will go airborne into the great outdoors (and not inside your home).
Close the Blinds
Does your home tend to get pelted with the sun’s intense rays throughout the day? If so, all of that light that’s pooling inside will heat your humble abode — similar to the way a greenhouse works for plants. Additionally, if a specific piece of furniture or flooring is hit with direct sunlight daily, there’s a chance those furnishings will fade over time.
The best way to deflect temperature-increasing sunlight is to keep your blinds (or window treatments) shut or open halfway. Doing this will not only keep a room in your home much cooler, but you’ll be able to reap the benefit of not heavily relying on your central air conditioner to help restore the cold climate you once had.
Change the Rotation Direction of Your Ceiling Fan
Do you have a ceiling fan in your home? If so, did you happen to notice which direction it was rotating in? Believe it or not, if your ceiling-suspended fan turns in a clockwise direction during the summer, you’ll want to switch its rotation pattern — but why is that?
By having your ceiling fan rotate in a counterclockwise direction, it will help circulate the air in a room, keeping you cool. And, especially if you have your central air conditioner on, a ceiling fan spinning in this direction will help evenly distribute that cold air from the vent — making your room feel as comfortable as can be!
Drink Cool Beverages
This might speak for itself, but when the heat index is rather high outside of your home, it’s best to drink cool, non-sugary beverages throughout the day. The reason is that anything that, believe it or not, a hot drink (i.e., coffee) can warm you up from the inside out — making you feel slightly warmer than you should.
To keep this from happening, make sure to drink plenty of cold water to help regulate your body temperature and keep you hydrated all day long.
For Your Home’s Central Cooling Needs, Turn to the Pros at Ponderosa Heating & Cooling!
We’ll assist with any central cooling repairs, maintenance, installations, and so much more! Plus, we even offer free virtual consultations! To schedule your appointment with the Ponderosa Heating & Cooling team, give us a call at 541-549-1605!
