Cool Down House: Summer will be here soon and with it, the beautiful warm temperatures that we always enjoy. Or, at least we say that we enjoy them while we are going through our Canadian winters! However, when the summer actually hits us, sometimes we can find the heat a bit too hot to handle.

Here are 6 ways to cool down your house and enjoy the warmer temperatures this summer. If your air conditioner needs servicing to make sure that it is working at its best this summer, contact the AC technicians at Draft Control today. You can trust Draft Control to make sure that your air conditioner will keep your home cool and comfortable this summer. If you are looking to purchase an AC, Draft Control can help you choose and install the best model for your home.

If Your Home Is Too Warm, It May Be Affecting More Than Your Mood

If your home is overly warm in the summer, it can have some very adverse effects including:

Making You Uncomfortable:

If your home is excessively hot in the summer, it can make you feel very uncomfortable. According to Robert Glatter, M.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health, the heat will affect different people differently depending on their preferences and personality. You may start to feel agitated, crabby, out of control, and even become aggressive.

Interrupting Your Sleep:

Many people find it very difficult to fall asleep and to have a restful sleep when they are too hot. Not getting enough sleep or have interrupted sleep can play havoc on your mood and also make you cranky and irritable.

It can be difficult to get a good night’s sleep in a very warm house

Causing Health Problems:

If the humidity levels are high in your home and are over 60%, then your sweat will not evaporate as quickly as it usually does. This is because high humidity starts to break down your body’s natural cooling mechanisms. High humidity can also cause various molds, harmful bacteria, and dust mites to flourish. Not only do molds look bad, but they release spores into the surrounding air, which you and your family start to breathe in. These spores can cause many different health problems, especially dangerous to children and the elderly, including:

• Allergic reactions
• Asthma attacks
• Eyes, nose and throat irritations
• Other respiratory problems

Damaging Your Furniture:

If your home experiences constant changes in temperature and humidity, your furniture will expand and contract as these changes occur. This can cause cracks, especially in pieces made of wood. High humidity also can cause excess condensation on your furniture, which can cause mold to grow. Mold isn’t just bad for your health. Mold can lead to stains on your furniture as well as decay. It is a good idea to keep your air conditioner on at a consistent temperature throughout the summer to reduce the humidity in your home.

High humidity can damage your furniture

6 Ways to Cool Down House in Summer

So what can be done to prevent the above heat pain points? Here are 6 key ways to cool down your home this summer.

1. Close the Doors

Make sure that you and your family members remember to keep outside doors closed during the day. If you are making several trips inside and out, for example, when you are bringing in the groceries, don’t be tempted to leave the door open the whole time. A lot of excessive hot air can come into your home in those extra minutes. It only takes a second to close the door and open it only when you need to.

2. Open Your Windows In the Evening

Once the sun goes down, the air outside during the summer usually gets quite a bit cooler. Take advantage of this natural drop in the temperature and open up your windows to let that cooler air in. The temperature inside will drop and your home will feel less stuffy. Make sure that you close your windows again as soon as the morning begins to trap the cooler evening air and keep out the daytime heat.

Open your windows to let in the cooler night air

3. Invest in Fans

Fans are a great way to keep you feeling cooler. Air that is moving over your skin can actually lower your body temperature so you do become cooler and circulating air feels so much more pleasant and cooler than stagnant air. Fans, however, don’t actually lower the temperature in your room, so it is actually a waste of energy to leave your fans running if you are not in the room.

4.  Keep Your Blinds and Curtains Closed

Your window treatments can work as an effective level of insulation. By keeping them closed during the day, you will be blocking out the sunshine, which can dramatically raise the temperature of your room. It is difficult to measure exactly how much the sun can heat up your room because it depends on the strength of the sunlight, how direct it is shining into the window, the size of your windows, and the material that the window is made from. However, keeping the sun out by closing your window treatments will cut down on its heating effects and make your home feel cooler.

Break out the BBQ in the summer to avoid turning on your oven

5. Avoid the Oven

Your oven can give off a tremendous amount of heat into your room. So, while it is very comforting to be baking cookies in the middle of winter, it is probably not the best idea during the heat of the summer. Breaking out the BBQ on those hot summer days is a much better idea. BBQ meals taste amazing and they will keep the heat outside and out of your kitchen.

6. Invest in an Air Conditioner

The best and easiest way of cooling your home down during the heat of the summer though is investing in an air conditioner. Air conditioners not only make your home pleasantly cool but they also lower the humidity levels in your home. Lower humidity will make you feel better, more energetic and it is better for your health.

An air conditioner can easily cool down your home and remove excess humidity

Here Are Some Additional Cooling Down Tricks You Can Try

• Purchase blackout curtains to completely keep out the heat from the sun.
• Switch to cotton sheets as cotton breathes, so it keeps you cooler.
• Use a buckwheat pillow – they don’t hold onto your body heat.
• Turn on your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans to remove hot air.
• Cool off your body with cold drinks and cold cloths.
• Sleep downstairs or in your basement where the air is cooler.

Draft Control – Air Conditioning Servicing, Repair and Installations You Can Trust

Draft Control HVAC is a highly trusted heating and air conditioning company servicing the East Ottawa region. We have gained a reputation for honest service and advice about when to fix your air conditioner and when it’s time to replace it. Unlike other companies, we focus on our customers, what’s best for them, and their complete satisfaction, not on the brands that we sell.  Whether you require installation, repair, or maintenance for your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, gas BBQ and fireplace, or boiler; Draft Control is there for you. Contact us today for all your heating and cooling needs.

Financing Available!

Great news, Draft Control now offers financing through EcoHome Financial. If you know that you need to a new air conditioner and furnace and want to replace HVAC system, but you weren’t sure how you were going to do it financially, we can help. Contact Draft Control to learn more.

We Even Offer a Military Discount!

Draft Control is proud to offer a 10% discount on select services and sales to our military personnel. Contact us today to learn more.