How to Keep Your Home as Cool as Possible During the Summer

Sunny San Diego can sometimes be an overachiever with warm days turning into warmer nights. Strangely, plenty of the homes in San Diego do not have air conditioning, making it difficult to sleep at night. As we enter the summer season, we are set for record high temperatures, and that could make for some uncomfortable nights. Here are some tips for you to keep your home as cool as possible during those hot summer nights. 

If you have air conditioning,

-Turn on your air conditioning a few hours before bedtime. This can help your room and body cool down, which in turn can prepare you for a better sleep.

-If you’re okay okay with spending a little bit more on your electric bill, the ideal temperature for your AC at night is 65 degrees. So, instead of running your AC all day, set it to 65 degrees right before you go to sleep.

-Some air conditionings have a “sleep mode” which allows you to set an ideal sleep temperature before bed. Once set, the AC will slowly raise to a warmer temperature, allowing you to fall asleep and not be required to run the AC at full blast all night.

-Keep any electronics away from your thermostat, as it will sense the heat given off by your devices, making it run longer than necessary.

-Be sure to properly maintain your AC unit, which will ensure it runs at maximum efficiency. Removing any dust that has accumulated on the coils and cleaning the air filter every month  can do the trick.

If you don’t have air conditioning

-Keeping your home cool all day is easier if you leave your windows open during the day. This allows for air to circulate throughout the house, which will keep the temperature down. During the mornings and evenings, leave the windows open, and in the afternoons, close the windows, which will keep the cool air in and the hot sun out.

-Investing in some blackout curtains can work to naturally insulate your room, minimizing unwanted heat from the sun from warming up your home.

-If you have a grill, use it more for cooking your food. Using your stove during the summer will have a huge impact in making your house hotter. Plus, it’ll be nice to enjoy the cooler evening air while making dinner.

-If you have ceiling fans, make sure they’re set to rotate counter-clockwise, By doing this, the fan airflow will create a wind-chill breeze effect that will keep you cooler.

-You can mimic the feeling of air conditioning if you fill a bowl up with ice, and place it front of an electric fan. The breeze will cool itself from the ice, and makes for a nice temporary cool down.