Block sun, set fans and plant for shade

Summer temps have everyone talking, but what can you do about it?

Homeowners can take control of the indoor environment and stay comfortable when the mercury rises without sending electric bills through the roof.

First, block the sun. As much as 20 percent of summer heat enters your home as sunlight shining through windows. To cut solar heat gain, close curtains or blinds in rooms that get direct sun, paying special attention to west facing rooms late in the day.

Outside, install awnings or roll up shades. Open windows in the evening when outside temps are lower than inside. Cool air reduces the temperature of walls, floors and furniture, helping inside air stay cooler longer.

Install a programmable thermostat to preset temperatures for different times of the day. When you leave home for more than one hour, set the thermostat to 85 or 90 degrees. Reset it upon your return, and the system will use less energy during the cooldown period than if you had left it running at a lower setting while you were out.

Fans of all types are efficient cooling machines. Make sure ceiling fans are spinning in a counterclockwise direction to push air down. At night, place fans in open windows to move cool air inside. Also consider installing a whole-house fan, a cost saving alternative to central AC. When run at night with the windows open, a whole- house fan will pull cool air into the house as it vents hot air out through the attic.

The temperature in your attic can reach 150 degrees on a hot summer day and drive up cooling costs by as much as 40 percent. If your attic has less than R-22 insulation – 7 inches of fiberglass or rock wool, or 6 inches of cellulous – you should add more.

The US Department of Energy says most homes should have between R-22 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Leaky attic ducts can cut into air conditioning efficiency. Have an HVAC pro check your ducting for torn or separated areas and tune up the air conditioning unit.

Prepare for hotter summers with strategic landscaping. Plant a 6- to 8-foot deciduous tree this fall on the south or west side of your property and it will start shading your home next summer. Shading is the most cost effective way to reduce solar heat gain and cool your home’s walls, windows and roof.

Adriana Donofrio deasypennerpodley Glendora (626) 926-9700 adonofrio@dppre.com