While many take to the beach, hit the lake, or visit the ranch in the summer, there are plenty of folks who enjoy a nice “staycation” in the comfort of their own home. But is your home comfort really up to par during the summer heat?
Summer’s rising temperatures can make home comfort a challenge at times. The inside of homes can become hot and humid if certain measures are not taken by homeowners, especially those in warmer climates.
Warner Service is here to shed some light on ways you can improve your home comfort this summer. Here are five easy tips to follow:
1. Install AC With Dehumidification
If you’re running an old HVAC system in your home, there’s a chance that your unit does not have dehumidification capabilities. Most newer air conditioning systems include this component, but if yours doesn’t and your home comfort is compromised, it might be time to upgrade. In HVAC systems with dehumidification built in, the air conditioning components cool the air while the dehumidifier removes moisture from the air. If you already have one of these newer, high-quality systems, it may simply be time to change the air filter or schedule a service appointment to have the system repaired.
2. Use Fans
There are various types of fans that can be used within your home to aid overall home comfort in the summer. Ceiling fans are perhaps the most helpful, as they help circulate cooled, air-conditioned air throughout a home. Using a ceiling fan in conjunction with your AC unit is a much more efficient way to cool your home. Exhaust fans are also important to use since bathrooms and kitchens are two of the main sources of hot, humid air inside of a home. The presence of exhaust fans in these areas can also help you achieve maximum home comfort this summer.
3. Check Dampers
In some homes, the HVAC ductwork is equipped with air dampers. These dampers (or valves) control the flow of air through specific rooms or even entire floors. These are not to be confused with registers, which can be seen through the grills of vents on floors or ceilings. Dampers are typically hidden inside the ductwork. Sometimes the controls for dampers are in the form of handles or knobs on the exterior of ducts, which can be rotated from the outside to open or close the dampers. If airflow throughout a home is poor, checking to see which dampers are open, closed, or some degree in between can be a quick and easy solution to having home comfort during the summer heat.
4. Open Windows Under Right Conditions
It seems simple, but just knowing when to and when not to open windows in your home can make a huge difference in home comfort during the summer. Often times, it’s tempting to open up windows in the summer to let some fresh air flow throughout the house.
However, it’s really only wise to do so when the air temperature outside is cooler than the air inside your home. Opening windows when it’s hot out will actually suck cooled air out of your home and make the inside feel warmer. But when the temperature does call for some window opening, you can create a draft in your house by opening the windows on the lower floor, preferably on the shadier side of the home. Because heat rises, also opening up the upstairs windows on the hotter side of the property will create a natural draft inside the home.
5. Strategize Landscaping
Believe it or not, being smart with your landscaping outside your home can actually have a major impact on the comfort inside your home during the summer. Planting trees or shrubs near the west-facing and east-facing windows of your property -- because that is where the sun rises and sets -- will provide shade from the harsh summer sun and provide cooler temperatures inside your home.
Warner Service has been helping customers achieve home comfort through its services for more than 80 years. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you today, click the button below.
