How to Cool Your Home Without AC – As Spring ushers in some warmer temperatures, you may find yourself looking for ways to cool your home without air conditioning.

Here are some tips to keep you cool naturally.

Window shades/blinds

Sun is able to warm the home by shining in each day, but if the temperature is rising, you’ll want to keep the sun out.

Consider keeping window coverings closed on the side of the house where the sun is directly shining in. This will cool your home naturally by blocking that simple source of heat coming directly from the sky.

Ceiling and other fans

For much less energy than running an air conditioner, ceiling fans, oscillating fans, and box fans can cool your home. Having a ceiling fan installed above your bed will keep you cool at night. Turn on an oscillating fan in rooms without ceiling fans. This will allow you to transport the coolness of a fan with you, into other areas of the home when and where they are needed most.

Using the fan setting on a heat pump or furnace is another way to circulate air throughout the home without using air conditioning. This will use less energy but feel cooler as fresh air is blown into the room.

Another fan you may not normally consider being associated with cooling your home is bathroom exhaust fans. Not only do exhaust fans remove humidity from the room, but they suck the heat out, too.

Cook outside

The oven and stovetop are a source of additional heat in the home so using an outside BBQ to grill up your dinner can serve to cool your home, as well. When you do need to cook a meal indoors, make plenty of leftovers to reduce the number of times the oven is cooking throughout the week.

Plant trees

Trees and other landscape can provide shade to your home and surrounding areas. This shade can cool your home so think twice before removing a tree or shrub.

If your home does not have shade trees, planning to add some will beautify your area while bringing some cooling effects in the future. Look up types of trees that grow quickly and are great for shade in your area. For example, a Sycamore grows to 75 to 100 feet and is an excellent shade tree in the Southeast but more appropriate shade trees in the Pacific Northwest are Maple, Oak, Ash and Birch.

For a list of shade trees for the Pacific Northwest, go to Oregon Shade Trees, Washington State University’s Gardening Page, or Gardening Know How.

Crack windows

This may not be a great option for allergy sufferers, but you can cool your home naturally by opening windows as temperatures drop in the evening or in the coolness of the morning. Before the temperature rises, it is important to close the windows to lock in the cooler air.

When pollen counts are high, this option should be avoided for those with allergies to protect the indoor air quality.

For more information on heating and cooling, please contact us at Pilchuck Heating.

How to Cool Your Home Without AC

Pilchuck Heating

Posted on March 28, 2022