It’s summer, and it’s hot. Like, really hot.
We know how you feel—we’ve been there too! And as much as we love our air conditioners, sometimes that’s just not an option.
Maybe you live in an apartment in Columbia with a strict no-AC policy (maybe they’re worried about the noise), or maybe you have a pet that needs to be kept cool all day. Whatever the reason, there are some great ways to beat the heat without sacrificing your sanity or comfort and keep your home cool without AC.
In this article, we’ll outline some simple tips for keeping your house cool without using an AC unit. Also, we will help you understand when it’s time to turn on the AC and when to call professional AC repair and installation experts in Columbia and Mid-Missouri.
How to keep house cool without AC?
Air conditioning units can be super expensive, and if you don’t have one, it’s not always easy to know how to keep the house cool in summer when the weather gets warm. But there are a few DIY methods that can help you keep your place cool without a ton of cash.
Here are a few of them:
Cross Ventilation
This is a classic way to cool down your home, especially if you live in a climate where the humidity isn’t too high. Cross ventilation involves opening windows on opposite sides of a room (or house) so that the breeze can pass through and cool down the space.
Cover Your Windows
Another way to learn how to keep your house cool in the summer is by covering your windows with shades or curtains. Not only will this help keep out direct sunlight (which can heat up your home), but it will also reduce the amount of heat that gets trapped inside when the sun goes down.
Insulated Window Film
Insulated window film is one of the easiest ways to keep your home cool and relaxing without an AC. It’s basically a thin sheet of plastic that’s applied to the inside of your windows. And while it doesn’t look as good as regular window frames, it’s worth it because it can reduce heat by up to 30%.
Close Your Windows
If you’re looking for a quick way to cool off your house, try closing your windows! This is a quick and easy way to save energy (and money) while keeping your house cool. Plus, it’s eco-friendly!
Insulate Your Doors
Insulating your doors will help keep cool air in the room so it can circulate throughout the space. You can insulate your door by filling holes with foam insulation or cutting boards and placing them over gaps between the door frame and wall. If there are any gaps around the door frame itself, use spray foam to fill them up.
Swap Your Light Bulbs
If you still have incandescent light bulbs in your house, it’s time to replace them with LED or compact fluorescent lights. Using LED or CFL bulbs may reduce lighting-generated heat by up to 75%!
The best part? These bulbs last longer, so you’ll be saving money for years to come!
Use Fans the Right Way
Fans are great at circulating air but not so great at cooling it down. To make them work better, place them near open windows or doors and let the cool air come in through there instead of using fans directly on people or objects. This will allow you to get the same results without having to crank up the AC!
Set Your Ceiling Fans to Rotate Counter-Clockwise
If you want to cool down your home without using air conditioning, the first thing you need to do is set your ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise. This will draw hot air up and out of your home, making it feel cooler than it actually is.
You can also use a fan to direct cool air into the room as well. This is especially helpful if you live in an area with lots of humidity. By directing a fan toward the ceiling and allowing the air to drift down, you can create a cooling breeze throughout your home.
Manage the Humidity
High humidity levels can make it difficult for your home to stay comfortable during the day without running an air conditioner. Try opening windows when it gets too humid inside so that heat can escape from your home and evaporate into the air outside instead of staying trapped inside, where it’s much hotter than outside!
Cooling Curtains
Hang a thick curtain across your window at night and let it absorb heat from the sun. This way, when the sun goes down, the curtain will still be warm, but your room will be cooler.
Keep the Stove Turned Off
Turn off your stove while you’re gone—this helps avoid heating up your kitchen with the oven or stovetop burners, which can make your whole house feel stuffy and hot. You can also turn off other major appliances, such as televisions and computers, that are running 24/7.
Consider a Dehumidifier
What’s a dehumidifier? It’s a device that removes moisture from the air. This can help reduce the temperature in your home by making it feel less hot and humid. But there are some other ways to use a dehumidifier that can help you get even more out of it!
Try Planting Vines
You may not think about using vines as an alternative source of cooling for your home, but they work really well! They provide shade that blocks sunlight from coming into your windows while also providing natural air circulation throughout the room, thanks to their leaves moving in the breeze. Vines also help block out noise from outside and improve air quality inside by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the environment around them (which makes them great plants for people with allergies or asthma).
Night Cooling
The temperature outside can be quite a bit lower at night than it is during the day. Take advantage of this by opening your windows and letting in some fresh air. This will allow cool air to come in and replace warm air that has built up inside your home.
Cooling Bedding and Fabrics
You can also use cooling bedding and fabrics in your home to help you stay cool. Try putting wet sheets on top of dry ones—the moisture will evaporate into the air as you sleep on them and cool down the temperature of the whole bed area!
Give Your Ducts A Boost.
The air in your home is circulated by the ducts, but if you’ve never cleaned them out, they could be clogged with grime and dust that’s blocking cool air from getting where it needs to go. This is a DIY method to cool a home without the help of air conditioning!
If you don’t know how to clean your ducts, hire an AC repair and maintenance professional in Columbia.
When is the Best Time to Turn the AC On?
We know we know: it’s hard to get out of bed when it’s hot and humid outside. It feels like you’re just going to melt into your mattress. But trust us: there will be a time when you’re sitting in front of your computer, squinting at the screen through the foggy windows while you try to figure out why your email isn’t loading and wishing you’d turned on the AC earlier.
So how do you know when that time is? Here are some rules of thumb:
The time of day
Turn on your AC in the early morning or late evening when it’s cooler outside, and humidity levels are lower. This will make it run longer without having to kick on again later in the day—saving you money!
Outside temperature
If it’s late afternoon or early evening when the sun starts setting, turn your AC on! That way, you’ll have time for it to cool down before bedtime arrives—and if you don’t get around to turning it off until tomorrow morning? No sweat! It’ll start running again as soon as you wake up and start moving around inside the house (so long as nothing has changed between now and then).
Humidity levels
If it’s humid out and you’re using air conditioning anyway (to cool down), then turn up the heat instead! It’ll save energy and money without sacrificing comfort or safety.
Pre-cooling
Pre-cooling is a great way to save on energy costs. You can do this by running fans or opening windows before turning the AC on. This will keep the temperature inside your home at a more comfortable level without having to use as much energy.
Have You Tried Every AC Pro Tip In Columbia And Mid-Missouri But Can’t Live Without AC? Don’t Worry—We’re Here To Help!
We are Master Tech Plumbing, a local plumbing and HVAC service provider that has been serving Columbia and Mid-Missouri since 1990. We have a team of experts who are trained in all kinds of systems, including air conditioning.
At Master Tech Plumbing, we know you have a lot on your plate! So we are committed to making sure that your home feels safe and comfortable for your family regardless of the weather. Our team includes highly trained technicians with years of experience working with all different types of units, so we can fix it no matter what kind of system you have.
From faucets to flush valves, toilets to sinks, drains to pipes—we’ve seen it all. We know that when you’re in need of a plumber or an AC technician, you want someone who will show up on time, fix your problem quickly (and cheaply), and leave everything as good as new. That’s what we do at Master Tech Plumbing: we ensure our customers are cared for from start to finish.
So, If you’re now ready to retake control of your AC system, call us today at (573) 777-3660.