Summer heat waves can push your air conditioner to the edge. As temperatures in Northglenn rise, many homeowners notice rising energy bills, uneven temperatures throughout the home and cooling systems that often run all day without keeping up.
People often think the AC is the one thing that determines how comfortable your home feels. However, your home’s airflow, insulation and shade all play a major role in cooling performance.
This guide highlights three simple strategies that can improve comfort and cooling efficiency: boosting airflow in your home, making sure your home has proper insulation and adding shade to reduce heat from the sun. Using these summer AC tips from the pros at Northglenn Heating & Air Conditioning, you’ll keep your house cool during heatwaves.
Start with Airflow: Improve Airflow for Better Cooling
AC units lower the temperature of air and send it through ductwork to rooms in your home. For that conditioned air to keep your home comfortable, it must move freely throughout the home. Whenever airflow is blocked, some rooms may feel warmer than others.
It’s common for homeowners to blame their air conditioner for a hot home. In many cases, the AC is often working just fine—the real problem is poor airflow. A dirty air filter, blocked vents and other HVAC issues can all prevent good airflow.
Home Airflow Optimization Strategies
Taking steps to improve airflow in your home can improve comfort, lower strain on your AC and reduce energy costs.
- Swapout dirty air filters. Consistent AC air filter replacement helps your HVAC system increase airflow 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.
- Keep interior doors open. Doing so helps air to move more evenly between rooms.
- Move furniture covering registers.Keeping registers clear allows conditioned air to circulate freely.
- Schedule preventiveAC maintenance services. As part of a professional HVAC tune-up, a technician can check and clean debris-covered blower components that may limit your system’s ability to circulate air.
Insulation Matters More Than Most Homeowners Realize
Insulation provides a barrier against the warm air outside your home. Although your AC removes heat from inside your home, insulation helps keep that heat from getting inside. Better insulation increases comfort, decreases cooling run times and can help increase the life of your HVAC system.
The attic is one of the largest sources of unwanted heat gain during hot weather. Proper attic insulation and cooling go hand in hand because attic insulation limits heat transfer through the roof. Sealing gaps and sealing around doors and windows also help prevent hot outdoor air from sneaking inside.
If insulation levels are too low or air leaks allow hot air to sneak inside, your air conditioning has to work harder. As a result, many homeowners ask, “Why is my house hot with the AC running?” In many cases, insufficient insulation—not the air conditioner—is the problem.
Signs of Poor Home Insulation Levels
- Hot upstairsrooms
- Hotand cold spots
- Higher cooling costs
- An air conditioner that rarely shuts off
Use Shade to Keep Your Home Cooler
Sunlight streaming through windows and warming your roof and exterior walls raises indoor temperatures, forcing your air conditioner to work harder.
Direct sunlight can also impact your outdoor air conditioning unit by making it harder to release heat efficiently. Creating shade around your property can minimize solar heat gain, improve comfort and reduce summer energy bills. Shading your air conditioner’s outdoor unit can also help—but never restrict airflow around the condenser. Don’t install fences, enclosures or dense landscaping that restrict air movement.
5 Summer AC Tips for Using Shade to Cool Your Home
- Plant trees and landscaping strategically. Place trees to shade your roof, walls, windows and outdoor cooling 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 allow for enough airflow.
- Add window coverings. Light-colored curtains, cellular shades and thermal drapes reduce heat gain from sunlight shining through windows.
- Install solar screens in your home. Solar screens, which are specially designed mesh curtains, used on sun-facing windows help block the sun’s heat while still allowing in natural light.
- Strategically use exterior shading. Add landscaping and design features like awnings, pergolas, shade sails or exterior shutters to stop direct sunlight off windows before it enters your home.
- Keep blinds closed during high heat. Leave blinds or shades closed on west- and south-facing windows during the hottest part of the day to help reduce indoor temperatures and ease the load on your cooling system.
Additional Heat-Wave Survival Tips
Airflow, insulation and shade make a big difference, but these AC efficiency tips can also increase comfort during periods of extreme summer heat.
- Adjust ceiling fan direction. Operate ceiling fans counterclockwise to produce a cooling breeze.
- Avoid heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Operate ovens, dryers and dishwashers in the morning or evening to helpreduce indoor heat.
- Manage thermostat settings. Don’t make frequent temperature changes that cause your AC to work harder.
- Schedule preventative maintenance. Routine service helps your system operate efficiently before peak cooling season.
- Monitor unusual system performance. Address strange noises, weak airflow or inconsistent cooling before they become more extensive repairs.
Recognize When It’s Time to Call an HVAC Professional
Basic AC maintenance and energy-efficient cooling strategies can help, but some problems call for professional attention. When warm air is coming from your vents, airflow feels weak, your air conditioning runs almost constantly, energy bills spike, rooms cool unevenly or your system turns on and off repeatedly, it’s a good idea to schedule an expert evaluation.
At Northglenn Heating & Air Conditioning, our cooling specialists assess airflow, duct performance, insulation-related comfort concerns and overall system health to determine the actual cause to help your HVAC system operate at its best throughout the summer.
Enjoy Reliable Cooling All Summer Long
Keeping your home cool during a heat wave takes more than just your AC. Proper airflow, adequate insulation and effective shade work together to increase comfort, boost efficiency and reduce cooling costs. Combined with regular summer HVAC maintenance, these strategies can help your system operate at its best when you need it most.
has the expertise and experience to keep you comfortable no matter how hot it gets outside. If you’re in need of AC maintenance, a cooling system inspection, an airflow evaluation or a complete summer tune-up, our team can help boost efficiency and comfort during hot summers. Schedule cooling services online or call today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions About Summer AC Performance
Why is my home still hot even when the AC is on?
When your house stays hot even though your AC is running, the problem isn’t always the air conditioner. Limited airflow, inadequate insulation, incorrect thermostat settings or HVAC system issues can all affect cooling performance and prevent cool air from reaching every room.
Does shade really help lower cooling costs?
Absolutely. Trees, landscaping, awnings and window coverings block solar heat gain, helping your home remain cooler. Reducing the amount of heat entering your home means your air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard to cool your home. That saves energy, which helps reduce your cooling expenses.
How often should I change my HVAC air filter in the summer?
For most homes, homeowners should check their air filter every month during the busiest cooling season and replace it as necessary. The ideal air filter replacement schedule depends on the filter type, pets, allergies and how often your air conditioner runs.
Can insulation {help|make my air conditioner run more efficiently?
It can. Proper home insulation limits heat transfer into your home, reducing strain on your air conditioning. Ensuring your home has proper insulation levels, especially in your attic or around windows, helps create more consistent indoor temperatures while lowering energy.
Should I put a cover over my outdoor AC unit to keep it cooler?
Not while it’s running. You should never cover your outdoor air conditioning unit while it’s operating because the condenser needs unrestricted airflow to release heat. Providing shade for your outdoor air conditioner unit is beneficial, but always keep at least 2–3 feet of clearance around the unit and 5 feet above it to allow proper airflow.
What temperature should I adjust my thermostat to during hot weather?
In many households, setting the thermostat around 78 degrees when you’re home offers a good balance of comfort and energy efficiency during a heat wave. Use the highest temperature that keeps your family comfortable, and don’t make large thermostat adjustments that force your air conditioning to work harder.