Avoid Air Conditioner Repair: Natural Ways to Cool Your Home

Wouldn’t it be great to completely avoid the need for emergency air conditioner repair this summer? While it may be impossible to absolutely eliminate the risk of air conditioner repairs on a very hot summer day, it’s absolutely possible to reduce the amount of air conditioning your home needs by using natural methods to keep your house cool.

The hottest days of summer might require you to run your central air conditioning system or your window air conditioning units. But on days when the heat is not sweltering, try these ideas for keeping your home cool during the summer without the need for electricity:

Plant trees. While it can take years for a small tree to grow large enough to provide ample shade for your entire house, it’s better to have small trees that will eventually grow than no trees at all. If you already have large trees in your yard that provide shade to your home, you’re in luck! Trees do an excellent job of helping keep a house cool during the summer.

Use landscaping to your advantage. Besides trees, other types of landscaping can also provide benefits to your home. Vines do an excellent job of shading a house. Plants that cover the ground around your home also absorb the sun’s heat and help keep the area cooler. Essentially, any type of shrub or plant that blocks your home from the direct sun during the summer will help keep your house cool.

During the hottest hours of the day, keep your windows closed. When you open the windows during the hot hours of the day, the hot air from outside is allowed to infiltrate the house. Instead, keep windows closed during the day – to trap in the cool air – and open the windows only after the sun sets in the evening.

Learn how to take advantage of a cross breeze. Opening more than one window in your home can do wonders for allowing a refreshing cross breeze to travel through the house. Make sure to open windows on opposite sides of your home. Opening windows to create a cross breeze effect works especially well on a windy day.

Make sure your home is properly insulated. Insulation prevents cool air from escaping from your house during the summer, and prohibits hot air from seeping inside. (In the winter, it does just the opposite). Investing in window and door sealers as well as insulating your walls, ceiling, attic and floors can cause a significant difference, and greatly reduce your reliance on air conditioning during the summer.

Wear lightweight clothing. This may seem like an obvious method for staying cool during the summer, but many people do not realize that certain clothing materials keep a person cooler than others. For example clothing made of linen and 100 percent cotton can keep you much cooler than clothing made of polyester and other man-made materials.

Avoid the need for air conditioner repairs this summer with natural heat-reducing methods and by using your air conditioning system as infrequently as possible.