If you're in the middle of a heat wave, you might be trying to think of ways to cool your home down without causing a drastic increase to your energy bill. There are actually quite a few ways to keep your home cool during the summer. Here are a few ideas to help you stay cool and save money on your cooling bills.
Cool Down The House
Your home soaks up a lot of heat during the day. Unfortunately, most of that heat ends up inside your home. Stand next to your wall on a hot summer day and you'll probably feel some of the heat from outside. You can cool down your home by cooling down the outside walls. Simply turn on your hose and spray water onto your home. You'll feel the cooling effects almost instantly.
Take Advantage Of The Breeze
Even if the breeze is warm, you can use it to your advantage. All you'll need are some old sheets and some cold water.
Directions
Soak a few sheets in cold water.
Wring them out well.
Open your front and back doors to get a good breeze flowing through your home.
Use push pins to hang the wet sheets in your open doorways.
The wet sheets will cool the breeze down as it blows through.
Plant Trees And Shrubs Near Your Home
While planting a tree won't cool your home down right away, it will cool it down once the tree has reached maturity. Well-placed trees and shrubs can cool your house down by several degrees and save you money on your cooling bills. According to research, large trees in your yard can save you as much as 35% on your energy bills.
The best place to plant your trees and shrubs is along the east and west facing walls of your home. This will provide protection from the hot sun during the summer months. If you have a large amount of concrete patio's or walkways, you can cool down your home even more, by replacing the concrete with cool temperature ground covers. In fact, using ground cover in your yard can reduce the temperature in your home by about 10 degrees.
You don't have to lower the thermostat on your air conditioner to cool your home down during the summer. These simple tips will help you keep cool during the summer, and reduce your energy bills. Visit Comfort Zone Heating Air Conditioning for more information.
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