Summer is fun to look forward to, but the extreme heat can be dreadful due to its effects on our health and energy bills. What's more, the sun heat's can damage wooden furniture and wash out the color of fabrics.
Thus, it's highly important to know how to properly stay cool during this season. Being constantly exposed to high temperatures may causeheat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and hyperthermia.
The best way somehow to stay cool is by having a high-quality air conditioning system installed in our homes. It won't just make us comfortably chilly, but also maintains the right temperature inside our homes so that wooden furniture won't contract.
But running an AC all day can rack up your energy bills, so let's learn how to keep them on without hurting your savings.
1. Limit Outdoor Activity
If you tend to be active outdoors, it's advisable to limit them in the summer so your body temperature won't rise too high. When you're not too hot, you can set your A/C's thermostat to levels that won't cause it to overwork and increase your cooling costs in turn.
If you can't sacrifice exercising outdoors, do it early in the morning or later in the day, when the sun's not at is peak. Limit your kids' outdoor playtime, too, and keep your pets indoors.
2. Use Fans
Though it can be tempting to set the A/C's thermostat to its lowest levels, it's not doing anything good to our energy bills. Hence, if you want to feel cooler, just use your fan so that your AC can consume 10% less energy. Smart ceiling fans are also available; consider those if you wish to control your fans without having to stand up.
3. Take Cool Baths and Wear Lightweight Fabrics
Before immediately turning on your AC on a hot day, take a cold shower first and change into lightweight pieces of clothing. That way, you'd still feel comfortable even with your A/C's thermostat at 78°, which is the recommended indoor temperature during hot weather.
4. Protect Your Outdoor Furniture
Outdoor furniture, especially wooden ones, suffer the most during summer, so make time to re-seal them if they need a new coating. Water-based varnish is a good sealant, as it's clear, easy to apply, quick-drying, and offers superb protection against the sun's UV rays and heat.
5. Use Insulation
Having an excellent insulation system in your home will save you loads of cash from energy bills all year round. Insulators are installed to the ceilings and walls, minimizing the effects of both extreme cold and heat. New homes usually have an insulation system, so if you live in a particularly old house, probably one that's already a hundred years or so, chances are it isn't insulated yet, so contact an insulation contractor to have that fixed.
6. Get a Programmable Thermostat
If you're going to work and you're leaving your A/C on at home, it's best to set it to 78° then set it lower when you arrive back home. You can also just turn it off, especially if no one would be left in the house to benefit from it, anyway.
Getting a programmable thermostat is also highly recommended. It allows you to control your AC wherever you are, so you can ensure that you're not racking up bills while it is running and you're not home.
7. Stay Hydrated
Most importantly, keep yourself and your family hydrated by drinking more water than usual. Your AC and fans may keep you cool, but they won't necessarily ensure your health. Don't assume that you won't need as much water when you're in a cool room. You surely don't want to have all that money you've saved to end up being spent on hospital bills.
