Extreme summer heat can push your air conditioner to the breaking point. As temperatures in Des Moines climb, many families 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 conditioning alone determines how comfortable your home feels. In reality, your home’s airflow, insulation and shade all play an important role in cooling performance.  

This guide covers three simple strategies that can improve comfort and cooling efficiency: improving airflow in your home, making sure your home has adequate insulation and creating shade to reduce heat from the sun. When you follow these summer AC tips from the pros at Web Connect Child, you’ll keep your house cool in summer. 

Start with Airflow: Improve Airflow for Better Cooling 

AC units cool the air and send it through ductwork to every room in your home. For that conditioned air to make rooms comfortable, it must move freely throughout the home. When airflow is restricted, some rooms may stay warm. 

Many homeowners blame their air conditioning system for an uncomfortably hot home. However, the AC is often working just fine—the real problem is restricted airflow. A clogged air filter, blocked vents and other HVAC issues can all reduce airflow. 

Home Airflow Improvement Strategies 

Following these simple steps to improve airflow in your home can improve comfort, reduce strain on your AC and reduce energy costs. 

  • Swapout dirty air filters. Routine AC air filter replacement helps your HVAC system circulate air more efficiently while improving indoor air quality. 
  • Makesure supply and return vents are unblocked. Furniture, rugs and curtains can create 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. 
  • Reposition furniture covering registers.Making sure registers are free of obstructions allows conditioned air to circulate more easily. 
  • Arrange preventiveAC maintenance services. As part of a professional HVAC tune-up, a technician can examine and clean debris-covered blower components that may limit your system’s ability to circulate air. 

Insulation Is More Important Than You Might Expect 

Insulation acts as a barrier against outdoor heat. Although your air conditioning removes heat from inside your home, insulation helps keep that heat from getting inside. Better insulation improves comfort, reduces cooling run times and can help maximize the life of your HVAC system. 

The attic is one of the biggest sources of solar heat gain during summer. Proper attic insulation and cooling are closely connected because attic insulation reduces heat transfer through the roof. Proper weatherstripping and sealing around doors and windows also help prevent hot outdoor air from getting inside. 

Whenever insulation levels are too low or air leaks are present, your air conditioning has to work harder. As a result, many homeowners ask, “Why is my house hot with the AC running?” Frequently, home insulation levels—not the air conditioner—are the problem. 

Signs of Low Home Insulation Levels 

  • Warmsecond-floor rooms 
  • Inconsistent room temperatures 
  • High utilitybills 
  • AnAC system that runs nonstop 

Use Shade to Help Lower Cooling Costs 

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 affect your outdoor cooling unit by reducing its ability to release heat efficiently. Using shade around your property can limit solar heat gain, improve comfort and decrease summer energy bills. Using trees or other landscaping to shade your air conditioner’s outdoor unit can also help—but never block airflow around the condenser. Avoid fences, enclosures or dense landscaping that restrict air movement. 

5 Summer AC Tips to Reduce Heat with Outdoor Shade 

  1. Plan trees and landscaping strategically. Use 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. 
  2. Use window coverings. Light-colored curtains, cellular shades and thermal drapes reduce heat gain from direct sunlight coming through windows. 
  3. Add solar screens in your home. Solar screens, which are specially designed mesh curtains, used on sun-facing windows help limit the sun’s heat while still allowing in natural light. 
  4. Make use of 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. 
  5. Close your blinds during the afternoon. Shut blinds or shades closed on west- and south-facing windows during the hottest part of the day to help reduce indoor temperatures and lighten the load on your AC. 

Additional Summer Heat Survival Tips 

Airflow, insulation and shade all make a big difference, but these AC efficiency tips can further improve comfort during extreme summer heat. 

  • Adjust ceiling fan direction. Run ceiling fans counterclockwise to produce a cooling breeze. 
  • Limit heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Operate ovens, dryers and dishwashers in the morning or evening to helpreduce indoor heat. 
  • Adjust thermostat settings. Don’t make frequent temperature changes that make your AC to work harder. 
  • Schedule preventative maintenance. Regular 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 larger repairs. 

Know When It’s Time to Contact an HVAC Professional 

At-home AC maintenance and energy-saving cooling strategies can help, but some problems require professional attention. If you notice warm air is coming from your vents, airflow feels weak, your air conditioning runs almost constantly, energy bills increase for no reason, rooms cool unevenly or your system turns on and off repeatedly, it’s a good idea to schedule an expert evaluation. 

At Web Connect Child, our cooling specialists assess airflow, duct performance, insulation-related comfort concerns and overall system health to pinpoint the actual cause to help your HVAC system perform at its best throughout the summer. 

Stay Comfortable All Summer Long 

Staying cool during a heat wave involves more than just your air conditioner. Proper airflow, adequate insulation and well-planned shade work together to increase comfort, boost efficiency and decrease cooling costs. When paired 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 in even the hottest weather. If you’re looking for 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 

If your living space remains hot even though your AC is running, the problem isn’t always the air conditioner. Restricted airflow, too little insulation, improper thermostat settings or HVAC system issues can all reduce cooling performance and stop cool air from reaching every room.

Absolutely. Trees, landscaping, awnings and window coverings block solar heat gain, helping your home stay cooler. Less heat entering your home means your AC doesn’t have to work as hard to cool your home. This reduces energy, which helps decrease your cooling expenses.

For most homes, homeowners should check their air filter every month during the peak cooling season and replace it as necessary. The ideal air filter replacement schedule depends on the type of filter, pets, allergies and how often your air conditioner runs.

It can. Proper home insulation limits heat transfer into your home, reducing the workload on your air conditioner. Making sure your home has proper insulation levels, especially in your attic or around windows, helps keep more consistent indoor temperatures while using less energy.

You shouldn’t. You should never cover your outdoor air conditioning unit while it’s running because the condenser needs unrestricted airflow to release heat. Creating shade for your outdoor air conditioning unit is helpful, but always keep at least 2–3 feet of clearance around the unit and 5 feet above it to provide proper airflow.

For many homes, setting the thermostat around 78 degrees when you’re home offers an excellent balance of comfort and energy efficiency during very hot weather. Use the highest temperature that keeps you comfortable, and avoid large thermostat adjustments that force your AC to work harder.