Heat USA’s Home Cooling Tips for Prime Heat Warning & Advisory Season
It's rather toasty out there. (image: addins.waow.com)
Official forecasters issued heat warnings to 17 states across the country this week, especially throughout the South and Midwest, the Huffington Post reported. Residents in Oklahoma City and Dallas suffered through 10+ consecutive days of 100 degree weather, and Missouri broke its state heat record with 106 degree temperatures, last set at 104 degrees in 1980. Unfortunately, the extreme heat will likely persist through the rest of the month.
“It says a lot when you are dealing with such an expansive area of heat alerts,” said National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro. “It’s breaking daily records, but when you’re talking about a record string of days – we’re not there yet. We’re in the midst of a heat wave that’s not over yet.”
For most of us, that’s not fantastic news. Heat stroke and exhaustion are serious problems, and many Americans die every year from heat-related complications. So some evening after that blazing sun goes down, take a quick inventory of your home HVAC situation and make sure it’s as energy efficient and summer-ready as it can be.
• Upgrade your insulation. You know the old saying about insulation: get it tight, get it right! Because the same stuff that keeps your home warm during the winter will keep it cool in the sweltering summer months too. The Department of Energy and Climate Change reported the average uninsulated British home wastes $161 every year on utility bills, and the energy loss happens in summer as well as the heating season. In fact, get an entire home energy audit if you haven’t had one in awhile. Trust us, they’re worth it.
• Maintain all home cooling equipment. Whether you’ve got central air conditioning, window units, simple ceiling fans, or a ductless a/c system, keeping everything clean with regular inspections will prevent unnecessary energy waste and keep utility bills from climbing higher than they need to.
• When you feel the temperature in your living space escalate from unpleasant to unbearable, find a cooling center. Don’t wait; dehydration and heat exhaustion can sneak up faster than you’d expect! While you’re out, check to see if federal home cooling assistance is available for residents in your state, as the LIHEAP program allocates money for low-income Americans struggling with hot summer weather.
