3 Ways To Stay Cool At Home That Are Cheaper Than Turning On Your A/C
For some people, running their air conditioner all summer long is no problem financially. But for others, turning on their air conditioner may be considered quite a luxury. So when it’s hot outside but you’re wanting to save money by not turning your air conditioner on quite yet, you’ve got to figure out some other ways that you can stay cool and comfortable.
To help you in doing this, here are three ways to stay cool at home that are cheaper than turning on your air conditioner.
Be Smart About Using Your Windows
The trick to not having to use your air conditioner constantly is to not allow your house to ever heat up too much. Remember that any device that runs continuously without a break could collapse. Like human bodies need rest, air conditioners, too, need some downtime. Otherwise, they would soon break down, thereby needing you to call professionals who could carry out heating and cooling repairs quickly. However, this is not just it, there are other benefits to not using your AC– it can help you save tons of money on your utility bills. So, when you get the chance, try to keep your house cool without taking the assistance of cooling devices.
One great way to do this is to be smart about how you use your windows. If you live in an area that cools off at night, opening your windows at night and then closing them in the morning can be a good way to get cool air into your home and keep it in for as long as possible during the hottest parts of the day. Additionally, if you have thick curtains over your windows, you can block out a lot of the sun that can also heat up your home. And according to Alexa Erickson of the Family Handyman and Reader’s Digest Canada, opening higher windows that are downwind and lower windows that are upwind can help push out hot air with cooler air.
Use A Dehumidifier Instead
Sometimes, your home may feel hot because the humidity level is too high. If this happens, sometimes turning on your air conditioner might not even do the trick for you.
Rather than wasting energy and money with your air conditioner in this situation, Dan Seitz, a contributor to Popular Science, shares that you should use a dehumidifier instead. A dehumidifier will help to decrease the humidity in the room so that your room will feel dry and cool.
Make Sure Your Air Conditioner Is Running Efficiently
For those times when you just can’t get away with not turning on your air conditioner, there are still things you can do to ensure that you’re not just throwing your money away.
Primarily, Stephanie Verdi, a contributor to NBCNews.com, recommends that you should properly maintain your unit before using it. If you don’t know how to do this yourself, make sure you call in a professional installation or maintenance service to take care of this for you. Doing so could save you a lot of money in the long run.
If you’re wanting to stay cool at home without having to turn on your air conditioner very often, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you accomplish this goal.