What are Some Eco-Efficient Alternatives for My Home?
Summer in New Mexico is nothing to joke about. It gets hot. If you don’t have an air conditioner, things could get unbearable, pretty fast. Luckily, there are several eco-efficient options that can help keep your home cool and bearable. Try some of the following tips today:
Keep your Blinds Closed
A lot of heat is transferred through your windows. Sure, it’s nice to see the sun shining in your home, but in the summer keeping your blinds or curtains closed will reduce the heat by a significant amount.
According to the Department of Energy, blinds help reduce heat gain by about 45 percent. While this is a significant amount, it’s difficult to keep more heat away because of the slats of the blinds and not being able to close them off completely.
For better coverage, consider using blinds and curtains. The DOE reports that curtains can block up to 65 percent of heat gain. When choosing blinds and curtains to keep your home cool, consider getting them in a color that will reflect the sunlight, rather than absorb it. Light colored or white blinds and curtains do a better job reflecting heat than their dark counterparts.
Do not Open the Door Unless You Have to
This tip means being strategic about opening and closing the door. Opening and closing the door repeatedly throughout the day will let in a lot of heat that is difficult to cool down during the day. If you have kids, instruct them to either stay inside or commit to playing outside and to not come in and out of the house constantly.
If you are bringing in groceries, consider bringing all the bags to the door rather than entering and exiting the house to unload everything. By keeping the door closed as much as possible, you will be able to keep your home significantly cooler.
Let the Night Air In
At night it gets cooler. Open your windows and let some of that cool night air in your home. The cool air and breeze will help remove some of the humidity from your home and cool it down so that you can start fresh the next day. If possible, try opening windows strategically in order to create a cross breeze in your house that will provide the most efficient cooling.
For more information on how to keep your home cool in the summer, call 505-898-8860 and speak to the friendly and knowledgeable team at Daniels Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC today.
