Heatwaves roll across New York about half a dozen times each summer, bringing with them unbearable heat and uncomfortable homes. A heatwave can be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. When you can cool your home adequately, you can easily make it through heatwaves without unbearable discomfort.
Use Ceiling Fans
A ceiling fan can be one of the best-supporting actors in your cooling system. Most ceiling fans can spin in either direction, which means you can effectively optimize their usage. In cool weather, you’ll want your fan to spin clockwise to distribute warm air through the room effectively. In summer, however, switch the ceiling fan to spin in a counterclockwise direction, which pushes cool air toward you. Experts suggest that this simple move can help a room feel up to 10 degrees cooler.
Cover Windows
Direct sunlight can heat a room very quickly. Your best bet is to try to keep it out of your home. Using simple curtains or blinds can effectively reduce or eliminate the amount of direct sunlight that makes it into your home. If you don’t want to block your windows physically, consider a UV window film. This works to reflect natural sunlight while still allowing you to see clearly through your windows. If you want to go long-term, consider adding outdoor foliage that shades the windows, too.
Use Exhaust Fans
Whenever you take a bath or cook on the stove, steam enters the air and increases the indoor humidity level. Install exhaust fans in all your bathrooms and over the stove to vent the steamy air outside. Otherwise, the warm, humid air will remain in your home and cause it to feel much warmer. You’ll then find yourself turning the temperature down to compensate for the temperature rise. Stick to using your exhaust fans to vent humid air as much as possible.
Cook Outside
Heat from your stove can warm up the inside of your home very quickly. If you’re running your oven for any amount of time, that heat is going to disperse throughout your home. Avoid this problem by simply cooking outside on a grill or running the microwave instead of using the stove or oven. You can also enjoy cool or no-cook meals, such as salads or sandwiches with veggies and cold cuts, which eliminate both the steam and the potential discomfort of eating hot food during heatwaves.
Seal Unwanted Gaps
Unwanted gaps can develop on the exterior walls of your home, most commonly around doors, windows, and receptacles. Take a moment and run your hand around these areas to see if you notice a temperature difference. If so, you’ll want to seal up these gaps with weatherstripping or caulking. When it comes to air leaks at light switches and receptacles, opt for using a specialized foam insert pad to block out the heat.
Hang Dry Clothes
Just as your stove can create unnecessary heat that gets trapped inside your home, so does your clothes dryer. A great alternative is to avoid running it. Instead, take your laundry outside and hang them on a clothesline. This not only reduces the amount of heat and humidity in your home but also saves money on your energy bills.
Make Sure Your Air Filter is Up to the Task
The air filter in your HVAC system is responsible for removing dust, pet dander, and other unwanted airborne particles from the air inside your home. As your filter traps this debris, it will start to become clogged. Check your system’s air filter before a heatwave hits to see if it needs to be changed. If you can no longer see through the filter, you need a replacement. This new filter will ensure that your cooling system can run at its peak efficiency during the hottest of the summertime.
Beef Up Your Insulation
Insulation is a necessary barrier that separates your home from the air outside. The thicker you can make this barrier, the less likely outdoor heat will be able to seep into your home. Take a moment to assess the amount of insulation that you have in your home. You want to ensure that it meets or exceeds the recommended R-vale for your area. You can consult your local HVAC professional to get this necessary information. Since it’s possible to overinsulate your home, too, talk to your HVAC professional about the “sweet spot” to keep your home’s temperature stable while still allowing the building to breathe.
Unplug Unnecessary Appliances
In the era of appliances, you likely have a number of them throughout your home. However, how often do you use them? Appliances that are plugged in are creating unnecessary heat. Unplug any appliances that you’re not using to help prevent that heat buildup and keep your home cool during the worst of the heatwave.
Get Rid of Incandescent Lighting
Unless you have a newly constructed home, you likely still have a few old incandescent bulbs. If you’ve ever touched one of these bulbs while they’re running, we’re sure you’ve discovered just how hot they can become. Switching out your incandescent lights for LED ones can eliminate this unnecessary heat source. LED lights don’t create heat, and they use only a fraction of the energy that incandescent lights do, so you’ll be saving yourself some money on your energy bill as well.
Run a Dehumidifier
One of the biggest problems when it comes to heat is humidity. When humidity levels get high, your body could be unable to sweat naturally or cool you down properly. This increases your core body temperature and makes you feel much hotter. Running a dehumidifier is a great way to help reduce the amount of humidity in the air. The lower you can get the humidity level on those hot days, the cooler it’s going to feel in your home. Whole-home dehumidifiers are a great investment for those who live in humid climates.
Use Reflective Roofing
One modern convenience in the roofing industry is a reflective roof. This can be made of metal or shingles crafted to reflect UV rays. Just like UV film for your windows helps keep the sunlight out, reflective roofing works to keep the heat from the sunlight out of your attic and home. Your attic will stay cooler and so will your home.
Have Your AC Unit Serviced
Before the heat waves hit, you should schedule a maintenance appointment with a licensed professional. They’ll be able to evaluate your AC system, lubricate moving parts, check electrical connections, and more to ensure that your system is running optimally. The more efficient your cooling system can run, the more efficiently it will cool your home during those nasty summertime heatwaves.
Reliable AC Service
Cool Power LLC offers reliable cooling service for the whole Ronkonkoma, NY area. We can help with your heating, indoor air quality, ductless mini-split, and commercial needs. Give us a call today to schedule your next service appointment.
