Summertime in Oregon is full of gardening, outdoor picnics, hiking, and days spent on the river. There is so much to enjoy around here, but when you get out of the sun, you want a place to cool off indoors. If you come home to an uncomfortably hot house, it can be frustrating. Heat gain happens when heat is transferred into your home through different sources. Here are some ways to prevent heat gain in your home.
#1: Be aware of your windows.
Sunlight that enters directly into your home will inevitably heat it up. Windows and large glass doors are one of the main way sunlight enters your home and warms it up. To keep this from happening, consider keeping your curtains or blinds closed during the day. Doing this will help your home stay cooler and it means your air conditioner won’t need to work as hard to keep things cooled down.
#2: Take care of cracks.
Do you have windows or doors that have cracks or separations in them? This allows warm air to pour in and the cool, air-conditioned air to be transferred outside. This not only increases the temperature of your house, but it wastes energy and makes your utility bill higher.
#3: Reduce daily activities that contribute heat to the home.
Cooking, baking, using your dryer, or heat cycle on your dishwasher all contribute heat to your home. Keeping lights on when you’re not using them also cause heat gain. So, consider what activities you can postpone during the hottest days of summer, and what activities you can do early in the morning or later at night when things are cooler.
Even with these efforts in place, there is no denying the fact that the summer heat can be warm. The best way to combat this is by having a reliable air conditioning system in place. Perhaps your air conditioning is not running as efficiently as it used to. This could be because it needs a repair or an adjustment to the internal components. Perhaps the system needs to be completely replaced. We can help with that, too! There are a variety of air conditioning options available that we can provide that work with your home’s layout and most importantly, your budget.
We’ve been helping homeowners around Oregon with their cooling systems for the last three decades. Contact us today for information on your repair or replacement, or to get your maintenance appointment on the books.
