9 Tips for Keeping Your House Cool
Summer is here, and so is the heat! This summer, if you want to beat the heat in style, do not just settle for the beach or the occasional holiday to a hill station. Get rid of the heat in your house. No, we are not talking about turning on the air conditioner. You need to do other things to really cool your home down naturally that would go easy on your pocket as well. These are economical techniques which you should employ if you want to really chill and beat the heat this summer. Listed here are 9 tips for keeping your house cool.
1. Use shading techniques
One of the simplest yet effective ways to cool your home is to employ shading techniques. By using various shading techniques like landscaping, drapes and blinds, a large part of energy consumption owing to artificial cooling can be averted. Landscaping involves plantation of trees around the house in strategic positions so that they block the heat from coming in, but also keep the free air flow inside intact. Shrubs and vines are also planted around the house to provide shading and cooling.
2. Insulate your house
The benefit of insulating your house is that not only will it keep it cool during summer, it will also keep the house warm during winter. The heat is absorbed by the attic and when the roof is insulated, the heat does not radiate down to the house. This is an economic as well as easy technique that will save you the extreme heat of summer and from copious energy bills as well.
3. Use a thermal chimney
A thermal chimney is a very easy and effortless technique to keep your house cool. Keep the lowest windows of your house open. Open the topmost (upstairs) windows of the opposite side of the house. When warm air escapes from the topmost windows, cool air will automatically seep in through the lower windows, by a phenomenon called thermal siphoning. For this phenomenon to naturally cool your house, you must keep the internal doors open for free flow of air.
4. Use ceiling fans
Ceiling fans are quite efficient in cooling your house. Though they run on electricity, they consume much lesser energy than air conditioners. Also, they are cheaper and durable. A combination of air conditioner and ceiling fans can give you best results of both at a moderate cost. Ceiling fans are also very easy to install and use.
5. Use programmable thermostats
If you use a thermostat, ensure that you install a programmable thermostat. By adjusting the temperature of your thermostat, you can save a large amount on your energy bill. A programmable thermostat helps you avoid its misuse and lets you gain maximum benefits from it, because you can now control the temperature yourself instead of setting it on default.