Extreme summer heat can push your air conditioner to its limits. As temperatures in Kearney continue to increase, it’s common to notice increased energy bills, uneven temperatures throughout the home and cooling systems that appear to run all day without keeping up.
People often think the air conditioner is the only thing that affects how comfortable your home feels. The fact is, your home’s air circulation, insulation and shade all play a significant role in cooling performance.
This guide explains three practical strategies that can enhance comfort and cooling efficiency: improving airflow in your home, making sure your home has adequate insulation and using shade to reduce heat from the sun. When you follow these summer AC tips from the pros at Thurston Heating & Air Conditioning, you’ll keep your house cool in even the hottest weather.
Start with Airflow: Help Your AC Work Smarter
AC units cool the air and send it through ductwork to the rooms in your home. For that cool air to cool every room effectively, it must move freely throughout your house. When airflow is restricted, some rooms may stay warm.
Many homeowners blame their air conditioning system for a hot home. In many cases, the AC is often working fine—the real problem is poor airflow. A dirty air filter, blocked vents and other HVAC issues can all inhibit airflow.
Home Airflow Improvement Strategies
Taking these easy steps to improve airflow in your home can improve comfort, reduce strain on your AC and decrease energy costs.
- Replace dirty air filters. Regular AC air filter replacement helps your HVAC system circulate air more efficiently while helping improve indoor air quality.
- Check that supply and return vents are unblocked. Furniture, rugs and curtains can create blocked air vents that prevent cooled air from circulating throughout your home.
- Openinterior doors. Doing so helps air to move more evenly between rooms.
- Reposition furniture covering registers.Keeping registers clear allows conditioned air to circulate freely.
- Schedule preventiveAC maintenance services. During a professional HVAC tune-up, a technician can examine and clean debris-covered blower components that may affect your system’s ability to circulate air.
Insulation Plays a Bigger Role Than Many Homeowners Think
Insulation serves as a barrier against outdoor heat. While your air conditioner removes heat from inside your home, insulation helps stop heat from moving indoors. High-quality insulation increases comfort, lowers cooling run times and can help extend the life of your HVAC system.
The attic is one of the primary sources of solar heat gain during heatwaves. Proper attic insulation and cooling are closely connected because attic insulation reduces heat transfer through the roof. Proper weatherstripping and sealing around doors and windows also help keep hot outdoor air from sneaking inside.
When insulation levels are too low or air leaks are present, your air conditioning has to work harder. As a result, many homeowners ask, “Why is my house hot with the AC running?” Frequently, the real problem is inadequate insulation, and the AC is not the problem.
Signs of Low Home Insulation Levels
- Warmsecond-floor rooms
- Inconsistent room temperatures
- High utilitybills
- AnAC system that runs nonstop
Use Shade to Keep Your Home Cooler
Sunlight coming through windows and warming your roof and exterior walls boosts indoor temperatures, forcing your air conditioner to work harder.
Direct sunlight can also impact your outdoor cooling unit by making it harder to release heat efficiently. Creating shade around your property can minimize solar heat gain, improve comfort and reduce summer energy bills. Shading your air conditioner’s outdoor unit can also help—but never restrict airflow around the condenser. Avoid fences, enclosures or dense landscaping that block air movement.
5 Summer AC Tips for Keeping Your Home Cooler with Shade
- Plan trees and landscaping strategically. Use trees to shade your roof, walls, windows and outdoor air conditioning equipment. If you’re shading your outdoor AC unit, maintain at least 2–3 feet of clearance on all sides and 5 feet above the unit to ensure it receives enough airflow.
- Add window coverings. Light-colored curtains, cellular shades and thermal drapes limit heat gain from sun streaming through windows.
- Add solar screens in your home. Solar screens, which are specially designed mesh curtains, placed on sun-facing windows help block the sun’s heat while still providing natural light.
- Strategically use outdoor shade. Add landscaping and design features like awnings, pergolas, shade sails or exterior shutters to block direct sunlight off windows so it doesn’t heat up your home.
- Lower blinds in the afternoon heat. Maintain blinds or shades closed on west- and south-facing windows during the hottest part of the day to help reduce indoor temperatures and reduce the load on your AC.
Additional Hot Weather Survival Tips
Airflow, insulation and shade can make a big difference, but these AC efficiency tips can also increase comfort during periods of extreme summer heat.
- Settheappropriate ceiling fan direction. Rotate ceiling fans counterclockwise to produce a cooling breeze.
- Avoid heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Run ovens, dryers and dishwashers in the morning or evening to helpreduce indoor heat.
- Adjust thermostat settings. Don’t make frequent temperature changes that force your AC to work harder.
- Schedule preventative maintenance. Regular service helps your system run efficiently before peak cooling season.
- Monitor unusual system performance. Call a professional to investigate strange noises, weak airflow or inconsistent cooling before they become more expensive repairs.
Recognize When It’s Time to Call an HVAC Professional
At-home AC maintenance and efficiency-focused cooling strategies can help, but some problems need professional attention. When warm air is coming from your vents, airflow feels weak, your AC seems to run constantly, energy bills suddenly increase, rooms cool unevenly or your system turns on and off repeatedly, it’s time for an expert evaluation.
At Thurston Heating & Air Conditioning, our cooling specialists assess airflow, duct performance, insulation-related comfort concerns and overall system health to identify the real cause to help your HVAC system perform at its best throughout the summer.
Keep Your Cool All Summer Long
Keeping your home cool during a heat wave requires more than just your AC. Proper airflow, adequate insulation and strategic shade work together to improve comfort, increase efficiency and lower 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. Whether you need 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 AC Performance
Why is my home still uncomfortable even when the air conditioning is operating?
When your house stays hot even though your AC is running, the problem isn’t always the AC. Limited airflow, too little insulation, improper thermostat settings or HVAC system issues can all affect cooling performance and stop cool air from reaching every room.
Does shade really help reduce cooling costs?
Yes. Trees, landscaping, awnings and window coverings help reduce solar heat gain, helping your home stay cooler. When less heat enters your home means your AC 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 during summer?
For most homes, homeowners should check their air filter every month during the busiest cooling season and replace it as necessary. The best air filter replacement schedule depends on the filter type, pets, allergies and how often your air conditioner runs.
Can insulation {help|make my air conditioner run more efficiently?
It can. Proper home insulation reduces heat transfer into your home, reducing strain on your air conditioning. Making sure your home has proper insulation levels, especially in your attic or around windows, helps maintain more consistent indoor temperatures while using less energy.
Should I put a cover over my outdoor AC unit to keep it cooler?
You shouldn’t. You should never cover your outdoor air conditioning unit while it’s operating because the condenser needs open airflow to release heat. Providing shade for your outdoor air conditioner unit is helpful, but always keep at least 2–3 feet of clearance around the unit and 5 feet above it to maintain proper airflow.
What temperature should I keep my thermostat at in the summer?
In many households, setting the thermostat around 78 degrees when you’re home offers a good balance of comfort and energy efficiency during hot summer weather. Use the highest temperature that keeps your family comfortable, and avoid large thermostat adjustments that force your air conditioning to work harder.