Almost every place worldwide is facing more heat than in previous years. The greenhouse gases are increasing the heat on Earth.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research, greenhouse gasses trapped 49% more heat than in 1990. Situations like these are increasing heat waves.
You’re sweating, your kids are complaining, and the AC unit is full blast. It’s a heatwave, and it’s not going away anytime soon. So what can you do to make sure that everyone stays comfortable?
Amazing Tips For Keeping Your House Cool During A Heatwave.
1.Use Roller Shades
Roller shades are an excellent option for rooms with direct sunlight because they can be adjusted to let in light but not heat.
They’re also great for rooms without any windows and have wide-open wall areas since you can roll them up and down to adjust the amount of light entering your living space. Roller shades also help insulate against heat transfer by reducing room convection currents.
They accomplish this by preventing direct sunlight from streaming in through windows during warmer months while allowing breezes and other air movements throughout rooms in wintertime.
This helps maintain even temperatures throughout each room regardless of the season. There are different types of roller shades.
The efficiency of these shades depends on multiple physical characteristics, including emissivity, solar reflectance, and thermal infrared transmittance. You can go with blackout roller shades, which come with better density and heat resistance.
Going for blackout roller shades is vital for the best results during a heatwave. These blackout roller shades can prevent heat from entering the house while ensuring optimal ventilation if the windows are left open.
You can also use them in combination with your HVAC system. If you close your windows and lower the blackout roller shades, they will help cool down your home quickly when using an AC.
2.Install Weather-Stripping on Doorways
Weather stripping is a strip of rubber or foam that goes around the door frame. It helps keep cool air in and hot air out. You can buy it at hardware stores, or you may already have some in your garage. If not, here’s how to install it:
1.Remove the door from its hinges so you can work on them without hitting yourself on the head each time you open and close it.
2.Cover any glass panels with painter’s tape or newspaper. This will prevent them from breaking when you remove screws later.
3.Remove all screws around both sides of your doorframe. Some might be hidden behind molding or decorative pieces. Look carefully for them all.
4.Pull out any nails holding up weather stripping by hand. If they’re too stubborn for this method, use pliers to pull them out instead. You might need an extra pair if yours aren’t strong enough.
3.Use Ceiling Fans
Two main options for making your home cool are AC and ceiling fans. While air conditioning is a great way to control your home’s temperature, it also uses more energy than ceiling fans.
Ceiling fans are a great alternative that can help you save money on your electric bill while keeping the air circulating throughout your house. They’re also cheaper than buying new windows or installing an attic fan.
Moreover, ceiling fans can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to an article on The Lancet website, using ceiling fans instead of AC can help reduce energy consumption by 76%. It also reduces greenhouse emissions from 5091 kilotonnes to 1208 kilotonnes annually.
As long as they’re placed in the center of rooms where people spend most of their time during heat waves, ceiling fans work best when paired with other cooling devices because they don’t move enough air by themselves to be considered “cooling systems.”
However, they circulate cool air from areas where it’s already being cooled down by evaporation or air conditioning units so that it reaches other parts of your home instead of just sitting at floor level near windowsills all day long.
4.Change Out Your Air Filter
Changing the air filter in your home is an inexpensive way to keep your house cool during a heatwave. If you have pets or allergies, air filters should be changed once a month or more often. Here’s how to change them:
1.Once you’ve removed the old air filter, take it outside and shake off as much dust as possible.
2.Put the new filter in place and screw on any attaching pieces that may have come off with removing the old one.
Air filters can help remove the air inside the house and bring in fresh and cool air from the outside, especially at night. They can also help remove air pollutants from inside the house.
A study published in the Frontiers journal shows that using air purifiers can help  reduce 18% of the microbiological pollutants from within the house.
5.Cook in the Morning or Evening
Cooking can be a huge energy drain, but it’s also necessary for keeping your family fed. Luckily, there are ways to reduce cooking’s impact on your home’s cooling system:
Cook in the morning or evening. If you must cook during the day, try to do so when temperatures are cooler. You’ll save on gas and electricity costs while keeping on top of meal prep.
If you have to cook at night, turn off the oven and use a microwave or toaster oven instead. This will allow you to keep cool while satisfying cravings for warm meals and sweets.
6.Close Off Rooms You Aren’t Using
Close doors to unused rooms. You’re waiting for the AC to start up again, and you can still feel the heat seeping through that window. Closing off the room might significantly affect your comfort level, even if it feels like it’s not doing much.
Close windows, blinds, and curtains. People tend to leave windows open when they want some fresh air on a hot day, but this makes your home less comfortable by allowing heat into your house that would otherwise stay outside.
If you’re using fans indoors, keeping them cool will help keep your home cooler as well, but they won’t be able to do their job correctly if there’s too much sunlight coming in through nearby windows or doorways, so make sure these are closed when possible as well.
Conclusion
There are many ways to keep your home cool during a heatwave, but you should always make sure that you do everything safely. Remember that the best way to avoid overheating is by staying hydrated with water or other non-alcoholic beverages.
