Control Heat Gain in Your Home
Heat can feel like an impossible feat to conquer in the summer months. More often than not, individuals solely rely on their air conditioning units to cool homes and combat the heat. However, there are other ways to keep your home cool. Here are money saving tips on how to reduce heat gain in your home without overworking your air conditioning unit, while simultaneously reducing your energy bills.
First of all, what is Heat Gain?
Heat gain is the build up of heat in your home ranging from natural sources, such as sunshine, to the operation of household appliances, such as your oven, washing machine, or clothes dryer. All of these sources produce a significant level of heat gain, in turn, increasing the strain on your air conditioning unit. The following are energy efficient solutions that will reduce the heat gain in your home without increasing your electric bill.
Starting with the #1 Heat Gain Producer
Sunshine entering through windows is the primary natural source of heat gain. Windows alone can account for almost half of a home’s heat gain in the summer months. Take the first step to reducing heat gain in your home by:
- Applying solar film to your windows: If you do not want to completely block out the natural lighting effects of sunlight, window film is the perfect solution. Many film products, such as Hüper Optik Smart Window Films, reduce the amount of heat in your home but at the same time, they do not impede upon the natural lighting effects of windows and sunlight. Hüper Optik products also reject 99.9% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays– the rays responsible for skin problems and fading of home furnishings.
Work on the Top and Feel the Result at the Bottom!
Your roof and attic can collect a lot of heat with the summer sun endlessly shining down on them. Each day, heat enters through your roof and accumulates in your attic. Before you know it, the heat will transfer down to the cool lower living areas of the home. Thwart this unwanted heat with these effective methods:
- Coat your roof with a reflecting material or install light-colored roofing materials that absorb solar radiation.
- As a second line of defense, insulate your attic thoroughly and install an attic ventilation system that will constantly regulate airflow. This will bring in cool air and push out the unwanted hot air.
Shine a New Light on Your Situation
If you try to beat out the summer heat by covering your windows with drapes, curtains, blinds or shades you will now rely only on the overhead light bulbs and lamps in your house to make up for lost light. Although one problem is resolved, another emerges:
- No matter the size, light bulbs radiate a large amount of heat throughout the house but switching them to compact fluorescent bulbs will not only produce the same amount of light that you desire, it will also save energy and reduce heat production significantly.
To learn more on how to conquer heat gain in the sweltering summer months, call Hüper Optik at 832-467-1170.
Image Courtesy of: Solar Shield of Louisiana