It’s important to maintain a consistent temperature in your home. Hopefully, it won’t be too hot or too cold. However, older homes can be particularly tricky when it comes to air conditioning. You may feel powerless in the middle of the day when the temperature starts rising and you can’t do anything to stop it. Fortunately, there are always ways to keep your home cool. Even if the property is old, there are a few simple tips and tricks that can get the job done. Let’s take a look at the seven best ways to cool older homes.
1. Air Conditioning
First and foremost, you should have air conditioning. AC is a wonder of the modern world that cools homes on demand. While it’s true that older homes often lack effective ductwork and ventilation systems, you shouldn’t give up on air conditioning. Consider getting a ductless unit if your home lacks an adequate central HVAC system. You simply need to position the unit efficiently and make sure it is cooling an enclosed space. Not all of the rooms in the home may be appropriate for AC. Nevertheless, you can implement the ductless air conditioner where possible and enjoy all the normal benefits of AC.
2. Ceiling Fans
As a more traditional cooling system, ceiling fans are excellent choices. Aligned just beneath your ceiling, these fans take up very little space and are often a great decorative addition to a home. These fans have multiple speeds that switch up the breeze as needed. Many older homes have particularly high ceilings that seem a bit problematic. If anything, this is only an issue during installation. Once the fan is installed, it will work perfectly fine. Cool air naturally swings downward to the floor level, so a tall ceiling won’t be a major drawback. A great way to maximize the cooling from your fan is to make sure that the blades are rotating counterclockwise. This lets them cut through the air perpendicular to the angle of rotation, which means more air flowing through your home. In addition, it will disperse evenly around the room and form a blanket of cool air no matter where you are sitting.
3. Pedestal Fans
Pedestal fans are awesome alternatives to regular ceiling fans. These portable fans can be carried from room to room and positioned where you like to sit. You can even purchase multiple fans, one for each room. It’s extremely easy to flip the switch on a pedestal fan and change its settings on a whim. Moreover, you can align the fan to the exact spot you want. Remember, moving the fan just a little bit can have a huge impact on the air circulation in the room. Play around with the settings and you’ll find that there is a likely a sweet spot where the entire room becomes cool in a matter of minutes. Experiment with various positions such as very low to the ground or on the perimeter of the room. Unlike a ceiling fan, a pedestal fan doesn’t have to be the centerpiece of the living room. It can often be just as effective while blowing from a moderate distance away.
4. Open Windows
If the outside temperature is cool, opening windows is a natural way of cooling your home. Opening windows will allow a breeze to enter your home and circulate around. In particular, you want to open windows that face the direction of the wind. This will maximize the airflow entering your home and potentially eliminate the need for a fan at all. In particular, you want to open windows at night when the temperature drops by default. In addition, you’ll also get the benefit of natural air that is full of oxygen and richness. After a long day of being camped in your house, there’s nothing better than opening a window and inhaling a deep breath of the environment.
5. Close Blinds
This may seem like a pretty simple concept, but it bears mentioning: sunlight causes heat. If the outside temperature is warm, closing blinds works in your favor. First, close the windows to prevent warm air from entering your household. Then, close the blinds as well. Open blinds allow sunlight to shine directly on the interior of your home. While light might not seem to have a huge effect, it really does heat up the metal and plastic furniture in your living room. This radiates to the air and can lead to an insufferably hot atmosphere.
6. Manage Doors
Similarly, you have choices to make with your doors. If your bedroom is already cool, shut the door to keep the cool air inside. You don’t want it to mix with the warm air intruding from the living room. In particular, when your AC unit is running, it is in your best interest to close as many doors as possible. Studies have shown that the effectiveness of an air conditioner drops to nearly zero in a very open space. On the other hand, you can open doors to equalize the temperature around your home. This could be a good idea if you have many fans turned on, and you’ll want to promote good air circulation. In some scenarios, the air currents from a fan are stifled by a very compact space. The bottom line, you want to find a happy medium between an open and closed living space.
7. Turn Off Lights
Finally, lights do more than just make your home brighter. Depending on the type of lightbulb, you could be looking at a significant amount of heating. Incandescent bulbs are major sources of heat and should be turned off if they’re not in use. Here, you can kill two birds with one stone. Turn off lights to save electricity and cool down your home at the same time. Similarly, LED lights can create a surprising amount of heat even from a dim state. During the day, you likely won’t have that many lights on in the first place. But at night, your light fixtures could be directly counteracting the cool breeze entering through the window. Dim lights when possible, and even better, turn them off completely when not needed.
Cooling Older Homes
In conclusion, there are many great ways to cool an older home. Just because the home has been around for a long time doesn’t mean that you can’t regulate its temperature. For more info on how to cool your home, please contact us at Liberty Comfort Systems for a brief consultation. We can take a look at your home and design some amazing ways to cool it off in the summertime. Cooling your home on your own is definitely possible, but there are some limitations. You might not be able to install a state-of-the-art cooling system given your tools and supplies. It’s a much better idea to contact Liberty Comfort Systems and let us take care of the work. We provide a wide range of heating– and cooling-related services for residents throughout Anoka, MN, and the surrounding areas. Call us today.
