Stay Cool! Eco-friendly Cooling Tips for Your Apartment/Condo
Posted on May 08, 2009 - 08:44 AM
By: Amanda Kondolojy
As the summer months approach and the weather heats up, you may find yourself dreading that A/C thermostat. Turning up your A/C is not only energy inefficient, but it is also costly. Luckily, living in a small apartment or condo affords you several cooling options, and you might be surprised how easy it really is to keep your small pad cool this summer, without keeping that A/C at full blast!
- Keep the light out! Most of the heat in your home comes from the windows, so light is your mortal enemy in your small space cooling campaign. In order to fight this war, it is most effective to take a two-pronged approach. First, use clear window insulation, like Energy Film, to keep most of the sun’s rays at bay. Although adhesive tints for windows also help with energy costs, the clear Energy Film is preferable as your apartment/condo association might not approve the tinted exterior. The second prong of your battle plan has to do with blocking the light. Although the film will block most of the heat, the light from the sun can still heat up spaces in your house/apartment. Check with your association to see what blinds/curtains you are permitted to install, and then close them. Although Venetian blinds are certainly the most common (and least expensive) option, fabric blinds work the best and are generally a bit more eco-friendly as well. Keep these blinds closed between 11AM and 2PM to keep the heat out of your home during the hottest part of the day.
- Use A/C strategically. The key here is not “if” but “when”. To keep your apartment cool, you really only need to run your A/C during the hottest times of the day. The best times to run it are during the 10-11AM hour, and then again during the 1-2PM hour. The best way to remember this is before and after lunchtime. When you turn off the A/C, the cool air should stay in your house, and as long as you have your blinds shut and/or your windows treated, you should not need to run it again during the day.
- Use fans to keep air circulating. Although the core temperature in the house will be noticeably cooler after running the air conditioner, it might feel a little stuffy after an hour or two. Use ceiling fans to help circulate the cool air and create a nice breeze effect.
- Keep houseplants. Although there are numerous other benefits to having plants in the house, they also can keep your home cool by absorbing the warm carbon dioxide in your house and replacing it with cool oxygen. Although this is the least noticeable way to keep your home cool, it is definitely a nice way to spruce up your apartment/condo and get rid of some of those small carbon emissions emitted by live bodies in your living space.
Although these tips work best in small areas, large homeowners can apply some of these strategies as well. However, no matter what kind of space you live in, it is important to also remember to keep light and electrical use to a minimum during daylight hours, as well as keep doors and windows closed to prevent cool air from escaping. And of course, if you just can’t stand that warm abode any longer, check out your local community pool or natural spring for some immediate relief!
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