Extreme summer heat can push even a well-maintained air conditioner to its limits. As temperatures in Wilkes Barre and Scranton rise, many homeowners notice rising energy bills, uneven temperatures throughout the home and cooling systems that often run all day without keeping up.
It’s easy to assume the air conditioner is the only thing that affects how comfortable your home feels. However, your home’s airflow, insulation and shade all play an important role in cooling performance.
This guide covers three effective strategies that can increase comfort and cooling efficiency: improving airflow in your home, making sure your home has proper insulation and creating shade to reduce heat from the sun. Using these summer AC tips from the pros at GLR Mechanical, you’ll keep your house cool in summer.
Start with Airflow: Improve Airflow for Better Cooling
Air conditioners cool the air and distribute it through ductwork to the rooms in your home. For that conditioned air to keep your home comfortable, it must be able to move freely throughout your house. Whenever airflow is blocked, some rooms may feel warmer than others.
Many homeowners blame their air conditioning system for poor cooling performance. In many cases, the AC is often working properly—the real problem is limited airflow. Dirty air filters, blocked vents and other HVAC issues can all limit airflow.
Home Airflow Improvement Checklist
Taking steps to improve airflow in your home can improve comfort, reduce strain on your AC and decrease energy costs.
- Swapout dirty air filters. Consistent AC air filter replacement helps your HVAC system circulate air more efficiently while improving indoor air quality.
- Check that supply and return vents are clear. Furniture, rugs and curtains can cause 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.Making sure registers are uncovered allows conditioned air to circulate properly.
- Arrange preventiveAC maintenance services. During a professional HVAC tune-up, a technician can check and clean debris-covered blower components that may reduce your system’s ability to circulate air.
Insulation Is More Important Than You Might Expect
Insulation provides a barrier against hot outdoor air. While your air conditioning removes heat from inside your home, insulation helps stop heat from moving indoors. High-quality insulation increases comfort, reduces cooling run times and can help maximize the life of your HVAC system.
The attic is one of the primary sources of solar heat gain during hot weather. Proper attic insulation and cooling are closely connected because attic insulation slows heat transfer through the roof. Sealing gaps and sealing around doors and windows also help prevent hot outdoor air from entering your home.
When insulation levels are too low or air leaks allow hot air to sneak inside, your air conditioning has to work harder. That often leads homeowners to ask, “Why is my house hot with the AC running?” In many cases, insufficient insulation—not the air conditioner—is the problem.
Signs of Inadequate Home Insulation Levels
- Hot upstairsrooms
- Uneventemperatures
- Risingenergy bills
- An air conditioner that rarely shuts off
Use Shade to Help Lower Cooling Costs
Sunlight shining through windows and heating your roof and exterior walls increases indoor temperatures, forcing your air conditioner to work harder.
Direct sunlight can also affect your outdoor AC unit by making it harder to release heat efficiently. Using shade around your property can limit solar heat gain, improve comfort and lower summer energy bills. Putting in shade over your air conditioner’s outdoor unit can also help—but never obstruct airflow around the condenser. Avoid fences, enclosures or dense landscaping that limit air movement.
5 Summer AC Tips for Keeping Your Home Cooler with Shade
- Plant trees and landscaping strategically. Position trees to shade your roof, walls, windows and outdoor AC equipment. When shading your outdoor AC unit, keep at least 2–3 feet of clearance on all sides and 5 feet above the unit to ensure it receives enough airflow.
- Install window coverings. Light-colored curtains, cellular shades and thermal drapes limit heat gain from sun streaming through windows.
- Install solar screens in your home. Solar screens, which are specially designed mesh curtains, used on sun-facing windows help reduce the sun’s heat while still providing natural light.
- Incorporate outdoor shade. Add landscaping and design features such as awnings, pergolas, shade sails or exterior shutters to block direct sunlight off windows so it can’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 reduce indoor temperatures and lighten the load on your air conditioning system.
Additional Heat-Wave Survival Tips
Airflow, insulation and shade all make a big difference, but these AC efficiency tips can help improve comfort during intense summer heat.
- Change ceiling fan direction. Operate ceiling fans counterclockwise to provide 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 limit indoor heat.
- Manage thermostat settings. Trytoavoid frequent temperature changes that cause your AC to work harder.
- Arrange preventative maintenance. Professional service helps your system perform efficiently before peak cooling season.
- Pay attention to unusual system performance. Call a professional to investigate strange noises, weak airflow or inconsistent cooling before they become more expensive repairs.
Know When It’s Time to Turn to an HVAC Professional
Basic AC maintenance and energy-efficient 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 increase for no reason, rooms cool unevenly or your system turns on and off repeatedly, it’s time for an expert evaluation.
At GLR Mechanical, our cooling specialists inspect airflow, duct performance, insulation-related comfort concerns and overall system health to identify the actual cause to help your HVAC system perform at its best throughout the summer.
Stay Comfortable 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 enhance comfort, improve efficiency and decrease cooling costs. Along with regular summer HVAC maintenance, these strategies can help your system operate at its best when you need it most.
has the knowledge and experience to keep you comfortable all season long. If you’re looking for AC maintenance, a cooling system inspection, an airflow evaluation or a complete summer tune-up, we’re here to help boost efficiency and comfort during hot summers. Schedule cooling services online or call today to get started.