Hot summer weather can push your air conditioner to its limits. As temperatures in Ames climb, many families notice increased energy bills, warm areas throughout the home and cooling systems that appear to run all day without keeping up.
You may think the air conditioning alone determines how comfortable your home feels. The fact is, your home’s air circulation, insulation and shade all play a major role in cooling performance.
This guide highlights three practical strategies that can enhance comfort and cooling efficiency: increasing airflow in your home, making sure your home has adequate insulation and creating shade to reduce heat from the sun. Using these summer AC tips from the pros at Haselhoff Air Solutions, you’ll keep your house cool during heatwaves.
Start with Airflow: Make Your Air Conditioner Work More Efficiently
Air conditioners cool air and distribute it through ductwork to the rooms in your home. For that cooled air to make rooms comfortable, it must be able to move freely throughout the home. If airflow is restricted, some rooms may stay warm.
Many homeowners blame their AC for a hot home. However, the AC is often working just fine—the real problem is poor airflow. A clogged air filter, blocked vents and other HVAC issues can all restrict airflow.
Home Airflow Optimization Checklist
Taking steps to boost airflow in your home can increase comfort, lower strain on your AC and decrease energy costs.
- Change dirty air filters. Regular AC air filter replacement helps your HVAC system circulate air more efficiently while supporting indoor air quality.
- Makesure supply and return vents are free from obstructions. Furniture, rugs and curtains can lead to blocked air vents that prevent cooled air from circulating throughout your home.
- Keep interior doors open. Doing so helps air to move more evenly between rooms.
- Reposition furniture covering registers.Making sure registers are free of obstructions allows conditioned air to circulate properly.
- Book preventiveAC maintenance services. By doing a professional HVAC tune-up, a technician can examine and clean dust-covered blower components that may affect your system’s ability to circulate air.
Insulation Matters More Than Most Homeowners Realize
Insulation provides a barrier against hot outdoor air. Although your AC removes heat from inside your home, insulation helps stop heat from moving indoors. Proper insulation increases comfort, lowers cooling run times and can help maximize the life of your HVAC system.
The attic is one of the largest sources of unwanted heat gain during hot weather. Proper attic insulation and cooling are closely connected because attic insulation reduces heat transfer through the roof. Sealing gaps and sealing around doors and windows also help keep hot outdoor air from entering your home.
When insulation levels are too low or air leaks let warm air into your home, your air conditioning has to work harder. This often causes homeowners to ask, “Why is my house hot with the AC running?” Often, home insulation levels—not the air conditioner—are the problem.
Signs of Low Home Insulation Levels
- Warmsecond-floor rooms
- Uneventemperatures
- Higher cooling costs
- An air conditioner that rarely shuts off
Use Shade to Help Lower Cooling Costs
Sunlight coming through windows and warming your roof and exterior walls increases indoor temperatures, forcing your air conditioner to work harder.
Direct sunlight can also impact your outdoor AC unit by making it more difficult to release heat efficiently. Using shade around your property can limit solar heat gain, improve comfort and decrease summer energy bills. Using trees or other landscaping to shade your air conditioner’s outdoor unit can also help—but never obstruct airflow around the condenser. Avoid fences, enclosures or dense landscaping that limit air movement.
5 Summer AC Tips for Keeping Your Home Cooler with Shade
- Add trees and landscaping strategically. Position trees to shade your roof, walls, windows and outdoor cooling equipment. When shading your outdoor AC unit, maintain at least 2–3 feet of clearance on all sides and 5 feet above the unit to maintain enough airflow.
- Add window coverings. Light-colored curtains, cellular shades and thermal drapes help reduce heat gain from sunlight shining through windows.
- Install solar screens in your home. Solar screens, which are specially designed mesh curtains, used on sun-facing windows help limit the sun’s heat while still providing natural light.
- Make use of exterior shading. Use landscaping and design features like awnings, pergolas, shade sails or exterior shutters to stop direct sunlight off windows before it enters your home.
- Lower blinds in the afternoon heat. Shut blinds or shades closed on west- and south-facing windows during the hottest part of the day to lower indoor temperatures and lighten the load on your air conditioning system.
Additional Heat-Wave Survival Tips
Airflow, insulation and shade all make a big difference, but these AC efficiency tips can also increase comfort during extreme summer heat.
- Change ceiling fan direction. Rotate ceiling fans counterclockwise to provide a cooling breeze.
- Limit heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Operate ovens, dryers and dishwashers in the morning or evening to limit indoor heat.
- Set thermostat settings. Avoid frequent temperature changes that make your AC to work harder.
- Arrange preventative maintenance. Professional service helps your system perform efficiently before peak cooling season.
- Pay attention to unusual system performance. Take care of strange noises, weak airflow or inconsistent cooling before they become larger repairs.
The Importance of Knowing When It’s Time to Contact an HVAC Professional
At-home AC maintenance and energy-saving cooling strategies can help, but some problems need professional attention. If warm air is coming from your vents, airflow feels weak, your air conditioner runs almost constantly, energy bills increase for no reason, rooms cool unevenly or your system turns on and off repeatedly, it’s a good idea to schedule an expert evaluation.
At Haselhoff Air Solutions, our cooling specialists inspect airflow, duct performance, insulation-related comfort concerns and overall system health to identify the underlying cause to help your HVAC system operate at its best throughout the summer.
Enjoy Reliable Cooling All Summer Long
Keeping your home cool during a heat wave takes more than just your air conditioner. Proper airflow, adequate insulation and well-planned shade work together to increase comfort, boost efficiency and decrease cooling costs. Combined with regular summer HVAC maintenance, these strategies can help your system run at its best when you need it most.
has the knowledge and experience to keep you comfortable in even the hottest weather. If you’re in need of AC maintenance, a cooling system inspection, an airflow evaluation or a complete summer tune-up, our team can help boost efficiency and comfort during hot summers. Schedule cooling services online or call today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Air Conditioner Efficiency
Why is my house still uncomfortable even when the AC is on?
When your house stays hot even though your AC is running, the problem isn’t always your AC. Limited airflow, too little insulation, improper thermostat settings or HVAC system issues can all reduce cooling performance and keep cool air from reaching every room.
Does shade really help cut cooling costs?
It can. Trees, landscaping, awnings and window coverings block solar heat gain, helping your home feel cooler. Less heat entering your home means your air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard to cool your home. That uses less energy, which helps decrease your cooling expenses.
How often should I check and replace my HVAC air filter throughout the cooling season?
For most homes, homeowners should check their air filter every month during peak cooling season and replace it as necessary. Your recommended air filter replacement schedule depends on the filter type, pets, allergies and how frequently your air conditioner runs.
Can insulation {help|make my air conditioner perform better?
Yes. Proper home insulation limits heat transfer into your home, reducing strain on your AC. Verifying your home has adequate insulation levels, especially in your attic or around windows, helps maintain more consistent indoor temperatures while reducing energy.
Should I cover up my outdoor AC unit to keep it cooler?
You shouldn’t. You should never cover your outdoor air conditioning unit while it’s running because the condenser needs unobstructed airflow to release heat. Creating shade for your outdoor air conditioning unit is a good idea, but always maintain at least 2–3 feet of clearance around the unit and 5 feet above it to provide proper airflow.
What temperature should I set my thermostat at in the summer?
For many homes, setting the thermostat around 78 degrees when you’re home offers an excellent balance of comfort and energy efficiency during very hot weather. Choose the highest temperature that keeps your family comfortable, and don’t make large thermostat adjustments that force your AC to work harder.