Tips for keeping your Florida home cool during a heat wave

Keeping your home cool in the Florida summers can be a challenge. We’ve compiled 12 of the best tips to help keep your home more comfortable when the temperature outside is extreme.

1. Close the Blinds

If you have windows that receive direct sunlight at any part of the day, you’ll benefit from keeping the blinds closed or curtains drawn for at least the sunniest part of the day. For rooms on lower floors, try turning your blinds upwards to prevent rays (and heat) from sneaking through.

2. Apply Heat Reducing Film

With roughly 30% of ambient heat coming into your home through the windows, one quick and easy fix to keep your home cool is to apply a reflective, heat-reducing window film to regulate the temperature. As a bonus, it even works in reverse, keeping more warm air inside during the winter months—and it’s quick and easy to install!

3. A Programmable Thermostat

Installing a programmable thermostat can help keep your home cool and save a bundle on energy costs. If you’re out of the house all day, your thermostat can be programmed to reduce the temperature a few degrees before you come home, so when you arrive it’s comfortably cool without wasting energy all day.

4. Give Your Ducts a Boost

With its easy plug-in-and-power-on design, installing a duct booster fan can draw more cool air into a room that’s too hot. Simply choose the design that’s right for you, place it in the register vent and plug it in for a quick and easy way to cool your space.

5. Install Ceiling Fans

It’s no secret that moving air makes you feel cooler. By installing ceiling fans, you can create air movement that will help you cool down while avoiding the cost of dropping the thermostat temperature any further. In summer months, run your ceiling fan counterclockwise to draw the cooler air upwards. Additionally, you can run your bathroom exhaust fans during the summer months which will help expel the rising warm air to the exterior of your home.

6. Use Portable A/C

A portable air conditioning unit is an excellent solution for cooling the most used areas of your home—and because they can easily be moved from room to room, you can be sure to have cool air wherever you need it most.

7. Install a Mini Split

Popular in Europe, a mini-split air conditioner is a mix between a built-in unit and a wall unit, providing whisper quiet operation, and a small footprint so it won’t detract from your decor.  A mini-split system can be mounted anywhere and is an economical alternative for ductless homes.

8. Plant Foliage

Though the payback on this may take a few seasons, planting shade trees and foliage around your home can help stop heat from seeping in through the windows and roof—and the result is pretty, too!

9. Open Windows at Night

Take advantage of those breezy summer evenings and open your windows at night to promote a cross-breeze that will help you and your family sleep better. The cooler air will circulate all night, allowing you to start fresh with a cool home in the morning. 

10. Grill More

Now this is one home cooling tip most homeowners can get behind. When temperatures soar, step outside and grill your meals as opposed to using the oven, which can raise the temperature of your home considerably. From pizza to roast beef, there are numerous ways to cook a meal on the grill—so get outside and experiment with the very best meal options summer has to offer.

11. Keep Interior Doors Open

Keeping your interior doors open, particularly if you don’t have an open-concept living space. This simple step is critical to helping your home stay cool. By keeping doors open, you are allowing air to circulate freely, which eliminates hot spots and regulates the temperature within your home.

12. Maintain Your A/C Unit

Even if you’ve got a built-in air conditioner, it may not be working at capacity if it hasn’t been maintained every season. Check out our Proactive Performance Plans to make sure your unit is doing its best to keep your family cool and comfortable.

Contact Gulfshore Air Conditioning today at 850-897-6540 to learn more about our indoor air conditioning solutions. Our expert technicians will be happy to discuss a plan for improving your home’s HVAC system for optimum comfort and efficiency all year long.