The dog days of summer are just around the corner, and if your home isn’t properly prepared, you could be in for some long, stifling hot days. To make sure you’re comfortable in your house during the hottest days of the year, check out our 10 easy tips for preparing your home for the heat:

Change Filters

Fresh filters in your heating/cooling/ system are essential for high performance temperature control. Make sure you change the filters at least once a month.

Update Insulation

Having new insulation will help keep cool air inside your house, and the hot air outside. You can choose to fully replace existing insulation, or simply add another layer of fresh insulation over the layer already in place.

Ventilate

Ventilation is key in the summer to avoiding boiler-like temperatures in your home. Make sure you have adequate-sized vents in your home, to promote sufficient airflow. This is especially important if you have an attic, where temperatures can quickly soar above 100 degrees on a hot summer day.

Ceiling Fans

If you don’t already have one, consider installing a ceiling fan in the most-visited rooms of your house. On days that aren’t quite as hot, a ceiling fan may do enough on its own to keep you cool, while on hot days, a ceiling fan will dramatically decrease use of your air conditioner.

Clean your AC

Turn your AC off, and give it a thorough cleaning for maximum performance. Clean the filters on the inside, and make sure all dirt and debris is cleared from the outside of the unit as well.

Open Windows

On cooler summer days with a nice breeze, open your windows to let the outside air cool your house. Don’t run AC with the windows open, however.

Close Blinds

Make sure your blinds and shades are drawn during the hottest parts of the day. Keeping the sun out of your house will keep temperatures down.

Keep Electronics Away from AC Thermostat

Make sure nothing that is giving off heat is running nearby your AC thermostat. This may cause the AC to run more than necessary and drive up electricity costs.

Leave Doors Closed As Often As Possible

Make sure you don’t make lots of unnecessary trips in and out of the house. Each time you open the door, hot air and humidity enters your home.

Don’t let cooling costs suck the fun out of summer. Call Wickstrom Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling at (208) 505-9352 for greener HVAC services in the Boise area!