During the summer months, temperatures can soar to uncomfortable highs, making it difficult to stay cool. This is especially true in areas facing extreme heat and long stretches of hot weather like Arizona.
Using an air conditioning unit can help regulate the temperature in your home and make it more comfortable to live in. To add to that, air conditioning units can help to reduce humidity levels, which makes the air feel cooler and more refreshing.
High temperatures can be hard on your AC unit, as well as your energy bills. Your unit will have to work much harder in extreme heat, leading to wear and higher energy usage. Thus, understanding how to increase AC cooling in rooms in your home is useful, and with a bit of knowledge, you can keep your rooms cool while still keeping energy costs to a minimum.
Read on for more information.
Tips for increasing AC cooling
Some rooms in your house will need more cooling than others depending on a few factors, such as:
- The amount of direct sunlight it receives
- Whether or not the room is shaded by trees outside
- Insulation quality
- The number of usual occupants
- What floor the room is on
Using an air conditioning unit in your home is a must during the summer, and knowing how to make an AC colder in rooms in a home that doesn’t efficiently cool itself down is crucial.
Here are a few useful tips.
Close the blinds and curtains
During the day, close any blinds or curtains in the room you wish to cool down. This blocks the sunlight and helps to keep the heat out. Sunlight can heat up a room very quickly, so it’s important to block it out during the hottest parts of the day.
Consider purchasing blackout curtains or shades for even better heat and sunlight protection. Blackout curtains are thick, dark curtains that help keep out sunlight, and even help keep out sound to a certain degree.
Blackout curtains are perfect for parts of the house that are hit with long stretches of direct sunlight, helping keep your home cool without needing to waste energy or money.
Have your air conditioner serviced
If you’ve ever had to ask yourself how to increase AC air flow in rooms that are uncomfortably warm, a great way to do this is to schedule regular HVAC maintenance. Regular maintenance keeps your air conditioning unit in good condition, providing efficient cooling for your house.
Having a professional HVAC technician service your unit is also a great way to get ahead of any issues that may arise, as well as build a positive relationship with your HVAC technician for reliable service.
Use a fan
Use a fan to circulate cool air around the room better. Fans make the room feel more comfortable even if temperatures stay the same. Any fan will work, be it portable, industrial, or a ceiling fan.
Consider switching the direction of your ceiling fan blades to ensure they’re pushing the cool air down into the room, making it much more comfortable.
Keep doors and windows shut
When it comes to how to make an AC colder in rooms, make sure that all windows and doors attached to the room you wish to cool are closed unless absolutely necessary. Leaving them open or frequently opening and closing them will allow warm air to enter the room and cool air to escape.
This will not only decrease comfort but will also cause your air conditioner to work much harder than necessary, causing a spike in your energy bill.
Use a programmable thermostat
If you have central air, a programmable thermostat allows you to determine the times of the day that your heating or cooling systems will turn on. This is done by setting a schedule in your thermostat based on your specific needs.
This helps save on energy costs and consumption by reducing the amount of wasted energy used on heating or cooling your home when you aren’t there.
Use a cool mist humidifier
Cool mist humidifiers add cool moisture to the air in warm and dry rooms, which can reduce the temperature of a room by a few degrees. They also have fantastic health benefits, such as helping soothe cold symptoms, stopping frequent bloody noses, and softening cracked, dry skin.
This also takes some of the load off of your air conditioner system, as you may not need to use it as much if the cool mist humidifier is already helping. This is a great and unique way for how to increase AC cooling in rooms without actually using the air conditioner.
Make sure your AC is the right size
When choosing an air conditioner for a room in your house, ensure you get the right unit for the size of the room it will be in. If the air conditioning unit is too small, it won’t be able to cool the room effectively. This will overwork the unit, causing it to wear out much faster.
If the air conditioner is too big for the room it’s in, it will waste energy and money by working inefficiently.
Use natural ventilation
Another method for how to increase AC cooling in rooms is using natural ventilation.
If the temperature outside is fairly cool, it can be more energy-efficient (as well as cost-efficient) to shut off your air conditioning unit and open your windows.
This will allow fresh air to circulate throughout your home, which can help improve air quality and reduce humidity levels, making the room feel cooler while giving your air conditioner a break.
Using natural ventilation is only effective at certain times of the day when the temperature is cooler, such as early in the morning or at night.
Clean your air conditioner
One of the easiest solutions often neglected by homeowners is simply cleaning their air conditioner unit. Cleaning your air conditioning unit keeps it working efficiently, which helps keep a consistent and comfortable temperature in your room.
It also helps to prevent mold growth inside the unit, as mold can cause long-term health complications.
If you need assistance cleaning your air conditioning unit and are unsure of how to properly do it, consult a trained HVAC technician.
Ductless mini split
One of the best ways for how to increase AC flow in a room is by installing a ductless mini split system. Mini splits are great for cooling rooms because they can be used in individual rooms or zones within a home.
Unlike traditional central air conditioning systems, mini split systems don’t require ductwork. This makes them highly energy efficient and extremely quiet compared to other HVAC systems.
Additionally, mini split systems are highly customizable and can accommodate a wide range of space sizes, ranging from 6,000 BTU all the way up to 56,000 BTU.
Trust the experts at Autumn Air
Here at Autumn Air, we understand the importance of keeping your home cool and comfortable during the summer season. That’s why we’ve put together these tips to help you learn how to increase AC cooling in rooms, improve indoor air quality, reduce energy consumption, and save money.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your home stays cool all summer long.
Need help with your AC unit? Contact us today!
