Chances are good you’ll experience an Indian summer this fall. Just when you’re used to the cold or frosty weather, it’s suddenly warm, hazy and still. Like during the heat of summer, you’ll have to change gears and keep your house cool instead of warm.
Tips for Keeping Your House Cool
- If you own a home in one of our Phoenix neighborhoods or any region that heats up, it’s a good idea to plant shade trees around the house.
- Do you own a new home in Houston or other area known for its humidity? Be sure your air conditioner can deal with it; variable or multi-speed blowers are helpful.
- Seal air conditioner ducts, insulate any ducts that run through an unheated basement or attic, and close ducts in unused rooms.
- Install white shades or blinds, which can cut solar heat gain by as much as 50 percent.
- Set the thermostat to 77 F. Use ceiling fans and you can probably keep it as high as 82 F.
- If you can, buy a high-efficiency air conditioner. The energy efficiency ratio (EER) rating should be higher than 10 for room air conditioners. Central A/Cs should have a seasonal energy efficiency ration (SEER) rating above 12.