Hot summer weather can push any air conditioner to the edge. As temperatures in Des Moines rise, many families notice rising energy bills, uneven temperatures throughout the home and cooling systems that appear to run all day without keeping up.
It’s easy to assume the air conditioner is the one thing that determines how comfortable your home feels. In reality, your home’s airflow, insulation and shade all play a major role in cooling performance.
This guide highlights three simple strategies that can increase comfort and cooling efficiency: improving airflow in your home, making sure your home has proper insulation and adding 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: Make Your Air Conditioner Work More Efficiently
AC units cool air and move it through ductwork to rooms in your home. For that conditioned air to make rooms comfortable, it must move freely throughout your home. When airflow is blocked, some rooms may feel warmer than others.
Many homeowners blame their air conditioning system for a hot home. In many cases, the AC is often working fine—the real problem is restricted airflow. A dirty air filter, blocked vents and other HVAC issues can all inhibit airflow.
Home Airflow Improvement Tips
Taking these easy steps to improve airflow in your home can enhance comfort, reduce strain on your AC and decrease energy costs.
- Swapout dirty air filters. Consistent AC air filter replacement helps your HVAC system increase airflow while helping improve indoor air quality.
- Check that supply and return vents are clear. Furniture, rugs and curtains can create blocked air vents that prevent cooled air from circulating throughout your home.
- Openinterior doors. This allows air to move more evenly between rooms.
- Relocate furniture covering registers.Making sure registers are free of obstructions allows conditioned air to circulate freely.
- Arrange preventiveAC maintenance services. As part of a professional HVAC tune-up, a technician can check and clean dirty blower components that may limit your system’s ability to circulate air.
Insulation Is More Important Than You Might Expect
Insulation provides a barrier against the warm air outside your home. Although your air conditioning removes heat from inside your home, insulation helps stop heat from moving indoors. Proper insulation enhances comfort, lowers cooling run times and can help increase the life of your HVAC system.
The attic is one of the biggest sources of solar heat gain during hot weather. Proper attic insulation and cooling work together because attic insulation slows heat transfer through the roof. Proper weatherstripping and sealing around doors and windows also help stop hot outdoor air from entering your home.
When insulation levels are too low or air leaks let warm air into your home, your air conditioning has to work harder. That often leads homeowners to ask, “Why is my house hot with the AC running?” Frequently, the real problem is inadequate insulation, and the AC is not the problem.
Signs of Low Home Insulation Levels
- Warmsecond-floor rooms
- Inconsistent room temperatures
- Risingenergy bills
- Air conditioner runningconstantly
Use Shade to Reduce Heat Gain
Sunlight coming through windows and heating up your roof and exterior walls raises 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. Creating shade around your property can reduce solar heat gain, improve comfort and decrease summer energy bills. Putting in shade over your air conditioner’s outdoor unit can also help—but never restrict airflow around the condenser. Keep away fences, enclosures or dense landscaping that limit air movement.
5 Summer AC Tips for Using Shade to Cool Your Home
- Plant trees and landscaping strategically. Use trees to shade your roof, walls, windows and outdoor air conditioning equipment. If you’re shading your outdoor AC unit, maintain at least 2–3 feet of clearance on all sides and 5 feet above the unit to ensure it receives enough airflow.
- Add window coverings. Light-colored curtains, cellular shades and thermal drapes reduce heat gain from direct sunlight coming through windows.
- Add 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. Use landscaping and design features like awnings, pergolas, shade sails or exterior shutters to stop direct sunlight off windows so it can’t heat up your home.
- Lower blinds in the afternoon heat. Leave blinds or shades closed on west- and south-facing windows during the hottest part of the day to lower indoor temperatures and ease the load on your cooling system.
Additional Summer Heat Survival Tips
Airflow, insulation and shade make a big difference, but these AC efficiency tips can further improve comfort during extreme summer heat.
- Change ceiling fan direction. Rotate ceiling fans counterclockwise to provide a cooling breeze.
- Limit heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Run ovens, dryers and dishwashers in the morning or evening to limit indoor heat.
- Adjust thermostat settings. Don’t make frequent temperature changes that cause your AC to work harder.
- Arrange preventative maintenance. Routine service helps your system operate efficiently before peak cooling season.
- Pay attention to unusual system performance. Take care of strange noises, weak airflow or inconsistent cooling before they become larger repairs.
Recognize When It’s Time to Contact an HVAC Professional
At-home AC maintenance and energy-efficient cooling strategies can help, but some problems need professional attention. If 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 time for an expert evaluation.
At Web Connect Child, our cooling specialists inspect airflow, duct performance, insulation-related comfort concerns and overall system health to determine the underlying cause to help your HVAC system perform at its best throughout the summer.
Enjoy Reliable Cooling All Summer Long
Staying comfortably cool during a heat wave involves more than just your AC. Proper airflow, adequate insulation and well-planned shade work together to improve comfort, improve efficiency and reduce cooling costs. When paired with regular summer HVAC maintenance, these strategies can help your system perform at its best when you need it most.
has the expertise and experience to keep you comfortable in even the hottest weather. Whether you need AC maintenance, a cooling system inspection, an airflow evaluation or a complete summer tune-up, we’ll help boost efficiency and comfort during hot summers. Schedule cooling services online or call today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Air Conditioner Efficiency
Why is my home still uncomfortable even when the air conditioner is operating?
If your home is hot even though your AC is running, the problem isn’t always your AC. Poor airflow, too little insulation, improper thermostat settings or HVAC system issues can each reduce cooling performance and prevent cool air from reaching every room.
Does shade really help cut cooling costs?
Yes. Trees, landscaping, awnings and window coverings reduce solar heat gain, helping your home remain cooler. Reducing the amount of heat entering your home means your cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard to cool your home. That saves energy, which helps reduce your cooling expenses.
How often should I check and replace my HVAC air filter in the summer?
Most households should check their air filter every month during the busiest cooling season and replace it as needed. The ideal air filter replacement schedule depends on the filter type, pets, allergies and the amount of time your air conditioner runs.
Can insulation {help|make my air conditioner perform better?
Absolutely. Proper home insulation reduces heat transfer into your home, reducing the workload on your air conditioning. Making sure your home has appropriate insulation levels, especially in your attic or around windows, helps create more consistent indoor temperatures while reducing energy.
Should I cover up my outdoor AC unit during hot weather?
No. You should never cover your outdoor air conditioning unit while it’s operating because the condenser needs unobstructed airflow to release heat. Adding shade for your outdoor air conditioning unit is beneficial, but always make sure there’s at least 2–3 feet of clearance around the unit and 5 feet above it to maintain proper airflow.
What temperature should I keep my thermostat at during a heat wave?
For many homes, setting the thermostat around 78 degrees when you’re home offers an excellent balance of comfort and energy efficiency during a heat wave. Set the highest temperature that keeps your family comfortable, and avoid large thermostat adjustments that force your AC to work harder.
