Lockdown Day 16: Prepare Your Home For Summer
Winter this year has been colder and longer than usual but we have a feeling that summer is soon going to be back with a vengeance. Although we do not have much influence over the weather we can at least ensure that our transition from cold to hot is as smooth as it can possibly be. Given below are some simple tips to turn your home into a cool haven whilst the mercury prepares to soar once again.
Alter your ceiling fan’s direction – Ceiling fans are barely used in the winter months and even if you use them it is often run on a low rotational speed. Therefore, it is advisable that you get your ceiling fans checked before summer arrives. Another point that must be taken into consideration is the direction of the fan blade. During winter the blades are turned up causing warm air to circulate in the room. Now, you need the opposite effect during the months of summer. The switch above the light fitting should allow you to change the direction of the blades. Another useful tip is to have you fan running clockwise during winter and anti-clockwise in the summer months.
Draw your curtains and blinds – By keeping the sunlight out you automatically end up dropping the heat levels in the house. So remember to close the curtains and blinds, especially in west facing rooms. You can also replace your existing curtains with the room darkening variety to block out the sun.
Clean your dryer vents – Clogged vents defeat the purpose of having them in the first place since they do not allow the warm air to escape. Instead they trap the air causing the temperature to rise in the house. A good cleaning job is all you need to prevent this.
Avoid direct sunlight on your air-conditioning unit – Just like human beings, our air-conditioners, also need some shade from the hot sun to function efficiently. A clever and inexpensive way to do this is to plant a leafy tree next to the exposed part of the air-conditioner.
Turn on Bathroom exhaust fans while bathing – Steam from a hot shower can permeate into other rooms of the house when you open the door, considerably affecting the cooling. You can avoid this by running the exhaust fans while showering.
Check for caulking around windows and doors – The expansion and contraction of wood during the cold season often causes windows and doors to detach a trifle bit from the frame. Applying a sealant around window and door frames should help you bridge the gap.
Replace yellow bulbs with fluorescent lights – Incandescent bulbs are great as ambient lighting but the warm light they shed can considerable up the temperature in the room. In comparison to yellow bulbs, CFL bulbs not only emit less heat but also consume less energy.
Repair & Replace air-conditioner filters periodically – Your air-conditioner can be nothing short of a boon during the hot summer months. Replacing or repairing air filters is important for more reasons than one. For starters, the filters screen the air before letting it enter your house, thereby protecting you and your family from allergy causing pathogens in the air. Secondly, they make it easier for the air-conditioner to push and pull air via the air registers and in doing so they increase the machines efficiency.
Turn the power off when not using appliances – Due to all the extra use of fans and air-conditioners you power bills are likely to be inflated during the summer season. However, you can lessen the power consumption by turning off the mains instead of leaving the appliances on standby mode.
Pay Your Electicity Bills in Advance – The last things you want during this season is a power cut enforced by the authorities due to late or non payment of the electricity bill. So make sure you pay the bill on or before the due date and if possible make a little extra payment. Pay in advance in case you are off on a vacation to avoid any unpleasant surprises on your return.
