Keeping the House Cool.

It’s the last leg of summer.  Meaning that if you also live in Georgia it’s like mid-September and it won’t get cold until the tail end of October and honestly, we’re all sick of it. We all wanted summer to start so we could stop shivering at the slightest breeze but that’s only because we forgot how old the heat and humidity gets almost immediately. There’s nothing quite like breathing in the sweltering water we call oxygen in the Georgia heat. I pray to god for your own sake that you have A/C, if you don’t... some of this will help you too. However, at this point you’re A/C has been doing a lot. They’ve front-loaded all the work keeping you cool this summer. So here are a few things that can help you stay cool until the end of the season. gumming up the workings of your unit.

Cut down on things that actively fight the work you’re A/C is doing. Thus, your windows. No matter how good windows are, no matter how thick the glass is, no matter how well insulated they are, they are going to radiate heat. Especially during times of the day when the sun is focused directly on the glass. Cover them up during the warmest part of the day. I suggest Blackout curtains; blackout curtains are pretty straightforward they block light and are readily available (you can pick some up at Walmart).

Piggybacking from there, use fans to support your A/C. If you have ceiling fans turning them specifically counter clockwise pushes the air downwards and chills the air while having it turned clockwise in the winter pulls the cool air upwards and forces the warm air downward. Having the fan on will also keep the air moving in the room, this keeps the air from getting stagnant and stuffy in the room. You can also keep the air moving with regular oscillating fans, these will also artificially cool the air.

 One more item on not fighting the A/C. Do as many of your heat-generating activities at night when it’s already cooler. Such as preparatory cooking, running unnecessary appliances, running your dryer, etc. We all know that’s not really practical to say to only do your cooking and chores at night, however, minimizing activities like the oven running mid-day will make at least the kitchen area significantly cooler.

Something you can do to help you’re A/C unit out is keeping it clean. Keeping the immediate area clear of weeds and assorted debris. Keep things from clogging up your unit. Which also means hosing it down once in a blue moon. You don’t need to take soap to it or anything, just spray it down with a garden hose to gently knock any dirt

One last thing that could help out your A/C unit is KEEP IT COOL! Yes, it doesn’t want to be hot either. Find a way to get your unit some shade. Some of the specific components in your unit get overheated, such as the refrigerant coil which then is counterproductive to the A/C unit function.