Summer is hands down the hottest season amongst the four seasons. The season is not short of fun activities; hence, we always anticipate it, but the heat that comes with it can be unbearable, especially now that global warming is at its peak. In this regard, it’s time to start thinking of ways to keep your home cool throughout the summer.
There are generally two ways you can decide to keep your home cool, either by using natural home cooling or by using artificially available solutions. The former is more efficient and eco-friendlier, while the latter is more effective. Choosing among the two comes down to personal preference. I will go through how one can achieve either of the two methods in your home.
Natural Home Cooling
Statistics show that electronic cooling systems consume up to 43% of the power load during summer while releasing 500 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, severely impacting global warming. The air conditioners also emit sulfur dioxide, which leads to acid rain, not to mention their expensive running costs.
You can achieve natural home cooling by implementing passive cooling-techniques with zero to minimal costs and a significantly reduced negative impact on the environment. Some of the passive cooling techniques include:
Blocking the Heat
You can keep heat out of your home with insulation. Insulation ensures heat does not pass down into your house when installed correctly in the attic. Reflective barriers also keep the heat out; hence you should avoid dark colors that absorb heat for your home. Another great practice is the use of shades where possible.
You can achieve shades through landscaping, curtains, or blinds. To achieve shades by landscaping, you can plant various trees, vines, and shrubs. Trees growing around your home can ensure large areas are covered with shade, significantly cooling your home from the summer heat. Shrubs grow low, ensuring even the low parts of your home expel the scorching summer sun.
Reduce Heat Sources
On the hot summer days, you need to take measures that will ensure you’re not generating extra heat in your home. Some of the steps you can take include avoiding incandescent bulbs, insulating water heaters, avoid dishes and clothes dryers since they emit a lot of heat. Air dry your dishes and use a cloth line to dry your clothes.
Most natural cooling techniques involve regulating equipment that generates a lot of heat combined with measures to reduce heat from the scorching summer sun. These techniques may not be fully effective during hot summer days; hence you may probably need to combine them with some electronic home cooling equipment since we are, after all, living in the 21st century!
Synthetic Home Cooling Systems
When discussing manufactured home-cooling solutions, air conditioning has to come to mind. The air conditioner uses electricity to power its components, enabling it to transfer heat from a cool place to a warmer place, working against physics, hence the huge electricity consumption.
There are several types of indoor cooling systems you can choose from, depending on your needs and budget. You can visit a local ventilation and air conditioning Company such as Greenwich HVAC, which can advise the best type of cooling system you should install based on your environment and give you a quote on the cost of the installation.
Central Air Conditioners
Central air conditioners function by supporting cooling in the entire house. They have a large compressor unit outside, enabling them to take warm air from inside the house to outside while circulating cold air. However, they can be costly, especially if you’re using an old model of a central air conditioner. The setup of your ductwork and its wear and tear could make you spend a ton on electricity costs; therefore, regular inspection of your ductwork is necessary.
The technician installing the central air conditioner in your home needs to do a load calculation, which will enable him to know the correct size of air conditioner he should install. Central air conditioners functionality relies on this step; hence the technician should strictly avoid installing a bigger or smaller than required size.
Room Air Conditioners
The room air conditioners function similarly with central air conditioners but are much smaller and can serve one room. They are cheaper to purchase and install than the central air conditioners and have significantly lower maintenance running costs.
Evaporative Cooling
These are pretty different from the cooling systems we’re familiar with. They function by evaporating water into the hot summer air, generating a soothing, cooling effect. They cost less than the air conditioners with substantial effectiveness, hence a great alternative to the air conditioner.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are great for homes since they are easy to install and provide heat or cool air, depending on your needs. In the summer, the heat pumps can remove heat from the air, enabling you to enjoy cool air in your home as well as pump heat into the air during cold seasons.
Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners
As the name suggests, these conditioners don’t have ducts. Instead, they use a conduit that carries hot air from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit. The indoor units can also be several, servicing different rooms in your home at different temperature levels. The indoor units are called air handlers, placed strategically in different rooms.
Their ductless nature lets them avoid energy losses experienced in central air conditioners, making them slightly lower running costs. The disadvantage with the ductless mini-split air conditioners is the cost of the individual air handlers runs higher than a central air conditioner of the same size with ductwork installed.
They, however, save you more in the long run; therefore, they are a great option to consider while looking for a way to cool your home during the summer.
Conclusion
When shopping for a home cooling option, you have to decide the cooling solution you will have installed based on various factors unique to you, your home, your budget, and your environment. You must consider individual preferences such as cooling the entire home at once or room by room.
It’s also best to consider all available options. With the ever-evolving technology, a new option could save you hundreds of dollars in installation and running costs. No single cooling system is suitable for everybody. Research and reach out to professionals who can advise you based on your unique environment and conditions on the best cooling solution for you.
