Posted on 16 12 2022

Keep your cool this summer

We all love summer! With longer and warmer days, it’s our time for swimming, BBQs, evening strolls and weekends at the beach. Strawberries, ice creams, watermelon and Pohutakawas are all summer pleasures we look forward to after the dreary winter months.

But with the fun comes unbearably hot nights when it’s hard to sleep, and high humidity that saps the energy of even the most vibrant summer lovers. It requires a concerted effort to keep our homes cool and comfortable on hot days.

The best solution is to install air conditioning, either heat pumps or a reticulated system. But there are several things you can do to help keep your home cool while saving energy in the process.

Here are our Ten Tips for cooling your home this summer.

1. Open Windows
Open windows at opposite ends of the house create a draft that naturally cools indoor air temperature. The cross-flow of air cools as it circulates throughout your living spaces. It pays to also keep internal doors open to maximise airflow.

2. Spritz Curtains
When it’s exceptionally hot, wet the curtain’s hems so the air flowing through the window blows cooling moisture into the room.

3. Keep Sunlight Out
While it's pleasant to see sunlight brighten your home, the rays contain heat that will warm the air in the process, and force your air conditioning into overdrive. Consider closing the blinds when the sun is flooding rooms. It will make you more comfortable and save energy. You can also install window film that will keep the heat and harmful UV rays out.

4. Install Awnings
When there are no trees or foliage to provide natural sun filters you can compensate with awnings fitted above your windows. They will reduce the amount of sunlight that enters your home. Some energy authorities suggest awnings reduce solar heat gain by as much as 65%

5. Switch off Appliances
Appliances emit heat while they are operating or switched on to standby. Each one that you turn off, or avoid using, will reduce the room’s air temperature.

6. Use LED Light Bulbs
Incandescent lights give off 90% of their energy as heat while LED lights do not produce any heat. Upgrading your lightbulbs to LED lights will reduce the heat in your room and save energy.

7. Insulate!
Insulation mostly comes to mind when homeowners are looking for solutions to warm their homes. However, it's important for cooling too, especially in the ceiling where air the air can reach scorching temperatures of over 50 deg. Insulation is key for controlling the air temperature at all times of the year, and for saving energy in the process.

8. Don’t Use Recirculating Ventilation
Ventilation systems work to bring heat from the ceiling cavity into living spaces during winter. It’s important to turn them off during summer when the ceiling air reaches scorching temperatures. Some systems can be changed to a summer zone where they draw fresh air from outside instead.

9. Change Heatpump Filters
Changing heat pump filters regularly is a critical maintenance task. It keeps air flowing freely and improves the cooling output while optimising energy consumption. Your air will be healthier too.

10. Don’t Waste Precious Cooling
Your air conditioning will do a great job of cooling the room air. You can help it by keeping the doors to unused rooms closed and by sealing any gaps around windows and doors.

Take these ten steps to keep your cool and enjoy all the fun of summer. Contact our team if you would like to know more about any of the steps or get a free energy assessment.