Tips to keep your home cool this summer -and save money doing it!

It seems that when the temperatures rise, so does your energy bill. While the AC is the number one way to cool your Dan Ryan home this summer, there are also more cost effective ways to beat the heat. Here are some tips on how to keep your home cool this summer while saving money (and some of them may surprise you). 

1.) Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun (east-facing windows in the morning and west-facing windows in the afternoon) to keep the sun’s heat out and help fans or air conditioners cool more efficiently. Always remember that the best way to keep your home cool is to keep the heat out.

2.) Avoid landscaping with lots of unshaded rock, cement, or asphalt on the south or west sides because it increases the temperature around the house and radiates heat to the house after the sun has set.

3.) Don’t put lamps, televisions or other heat-generating appliances next to your air-conditioning thermostat, because the heat from these appliances will cause the air conditioner to run longer. The heat they produce will make it think your house is warmer than it really is, and your system will run harder than it needs to.

4.) Humidity makes room air feel warmer, so reduce indoor humidity. Minimize mid-day washing and drying clothes, showering, and cooking. And when you must do these things, turn on ventilating fans to help extract warm, moist air.

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 As a bonus, these tips are also a more energy efficient alternative to keeping your home cool! Most of the tips discussed do not use much energy. To learn more about how Dan Ryan Builders is embracing greener building practices, click here.