Affordable Ways to Keep Your Home Cool

Affordable Ways to Keep Your Home Cool

As much as summer in Florida is amazing, it can also be hot and sticky. You could turn the thermostat to 80 but you’ll still be sweaty during a heat wave.

These little steps cost next to nothing. Keeping the heat low and your savings high, these tips can reduce stress on your air conditioner and make the heat a lot more bearable for the remaining summer weeks.

Maximize the air outside your home. Keep windows open as even mild air movements have been proven to reduce heat by at least 3 degrees. If you’re using fans, make sure that their backs are turned to the window to allow fresh air to come in and spread throughout your home.

Make the most of your air conditioner. Change filters monthly and adjust air conditioner settings at night. Turn your air conditioners off if you’re going to leave the home even for just an hour. Keep appliances such as lamps or TVs away from your air conditioner are the heat from these appliances will add stress to your air conditioning unit.

Ventilate your attic. The attic traps huge amounts of heat and a well-placed fan can pull air through open windows on the bottom floors and exhaust them through the roof. This simple trick can lower the inside temperatures on the bottom floors by up to a third of air conditioned temperatures. Consider buying an inexpensive evaporation cooler or dehumidifier.

Use white or light-colored draperies. White window shades or blinds reflect heat away from the house and closing curtains on the south and west-facing windows during the day can effectively reduce the amount of heat coming in to your home.

Try planting shrubs outside your home. These shrubs should be used to shade windows or air conditioning units. A shaded air conditioner uses significantly lesser electricity. Be cautious about the height of a hedge for security reasons.

Grow vines on trellises. Ivy or grapevine can shade an entire side of a house.

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent. Not only do they shine just as bright, they’re also more cost-efficient, using only a fifth of the energy and producing less heat.

If you’re planning to move to South Florida but the heat makes you hesitant, there’s no need to worry. Three sweaty months out of nine months of glorious weather still makes this place a good place to live in. You just need to have the right preparations for a well-ventilated home.

For a list of summer-friendly and updated homes on the South Florida market, don’t forget to get in touch with the Great Florida Homes team!