Alternative Cooling Methods for Your Home

Cooling your home mechanically can be quite expensive and will raise the level of pollutants in the air. Adopting just a few of the strategies below can reduce your dependence on air conditioners and lead to savings on your energy bills.

Weatherize windows and doors.
Adding weather stripping, insulation and caulking will help protect your home from the summer heat buildup. Start in your attic, since it is the major source of heat gain for your home.

Ventilate
If you live in a climate that has hot days and cool nights, open your windows in the evening. If your house is well insulated, by the time the inside heats up toward the evening, the air will be cool again outside. If you live in a climate with daytime breezes, create cross-ventilating by opening two windows or doors on both sides of the room.

Plant Trees
Well placed trees around your home will provide you with shade. Trees that loose their leaves are the best to plant. They will let in light and warmth in the winter and block the direct sun in the summer. They also will reduce the temperature of the air around them. During photosynthesis, water vapor escapes through the leaves and the surrounding air is cooled as the result.

Cut down on appliance usage
Ovens, dishwashers, and washers and dryers all contribute to the heat buildup in your home. They should be used only when necessary and in the morning or late evening when the temperature is the lowest.

Hang shades and blinds
Shading windows can reduce indoor temperatures by as much as 15%. Indoor window coverings and outdoor awnings and shutters both produce effective shading.

Paint with light colors
If you live in a hot climate, pain the exterior of your house a white or light color. Light-colored exteriors will reflect the sun’s rays away from the home. Dark-colored exteriors absorb the sun’s rays and make the home hotter. The absorbed energy from the dark colors is then transferred into the interior of your home by conduction.

Install ceiling fans
Ceiling fans will not cool the air in your home, but they will make a room several degrees cooler. Although they are mechanical, it cost a lot less to run a couple of ceiling fans than it does to run your air conditioner in the entire house. Ceiling fans work best when the blades are 7-9 feet above the floor but no more than 8 inches from the ceiling.