Ever wondered why your house doesn’t feel that cool even while the air conditioning is blasting? The reason is that some rooms and elements in your house are more efficient at attracting heat than others.

We take a look at a few typical places in your house that can make your interiors warmer than they need to be.

The Roof

A third of your home’s heat comes from the roof. Cool this down and you’ll have a good chance at minimising heat absorption and your electricity bill. Black or dark grey concrete roof tiles absorb heat much more effectively than lighter colours, which reflect the sun’s light. If you’re already lumbered with a dark coloured roof, then there are options. You could apply heat reflective roof paint to lower the absorption of thermal heat. You could also look at installing insulation in your ceiling to slow down the progress of hot air travelling into your home. Reflective foil products can also help or a solar-powered roof fan.

The Windows

If your home has a lot of windows, then these are a primary source of heat transference in summer. Especially windows facing east and west, which will get the most direct sunlight hitting them. But luckily windows are one of the easiest things to fix when it comes to heat absorption. Today there is a wide variety of glazing and glass products available aimed at reducing solar heat gain. Window accessories such as drapes, curtains and blinds can also block out sunlight at the hottest times of the day but will dim your house. Frames should also be considered when looking at window solutions as dark coloured aluminium frames conduct heat inside.

The Kitchen

Not surprisingly the amount of heat and steam generated in the kitchen during cooking is significant. All well and good in winter when it’s cold outside but in summer it can make your air conditioner work overtime. Getting rid of the hot air through proper kitchen ventilation is essential to lower the temperature in your home. You may already have a cooking fan but if this isn’t ducted outside it will just recirculate hot air and odours back into the house. Ducted systems, on the other hand, vent heat and steam outside. A range hood with an updraft exhaust fan placed above the cooking area is recommended to be the best way to get the heat out of the kitchen.

We hope this has given you some insight into how to take the load off your air conditioner this summer. Regular cleaning and maintenance will also ensure optimum performance. If you need a quote on a new air conditioner, then contact Star today!