All summer long, you perfected the ways to stay cool and beat the Virginia heat — now autumn is coming and things are changing again! The leaves are falling off trees, the days are getting shorter, and there’s a certain nip in the air. Yes, it feels like fall weather. How did this happen so quickly?
While there are plenty of things to celebrate this time of year — from football games to pumpkin patches to warm cups of apple cider — it can be tough to regulate the climate inside your home. To help you get started, we’ve come up with a few tips to help keep your family comfortable as the seasons change once again.
Enjoy the Fall Breeze
In the weeks ahead, Richmond will still see some warmer days, but don’t be so quick to crank up the air conditioning. The weather this time of year can be unpredictable, so you might need to warm up suddenly if we get hit by a downpour.
Besides, there’s a more natural, cost-effective solution! Part of the sweet, easygoing feeling of fall is the calming feeling of a cool, gentle breeze; take advantage of this by opening windows and allowing the cool air to flow through your home.
Change Ceiling Fan Directions
Many homes have ceiling fans, but how many of us are using them properly? During the summer, the blades should be set to spin counter-clockwise in order to push cool air down. Now that the seasons are changing, we need them to do the opposite.
Find the switch on your ceiling fan and set it to spin clockwise and use at a low speed. This will pull the cooler air from the floor level up to the top while sending the warm air back down along the walls. It’s easy to swap directions, so this should be the first thing you adjust when the weather patterns send temperatures up and down.
Let The Sunshine In
Another natural, completely free way to warm up your home as the weather cools is to rely on solar power. You’d be surprised by how much a room will heat up simply by opening the window coverings on a sunny day.
Then, when you’re ready to cool things down, all you need to do is close the blinds or draw the curtains. It can be tough during the fall because Virginia sees a lot of autumn rain showers, but definitely make use of the sunshine whenever you can.
Indoor Air Quality
While it’s helpful to open windows and screen doors to create a nice cross breeze in your home, there is a downside — dust, pollen, and other allergens will make their way inside. This can impact air quality and make it difficult to breathe.
Of course, this can be particularly difficult for those who suffer from asthma and allergies. You’ll want to be vigilant about keeping your home clean by changing your air filter, dusting, and vacuuming/mopping floors on a regular basis.
Schedule Maintenance
One of the best things you can do for your home is to schedule regular maintenance to keep your HVAC system optimized and running efficiently. The experienced professionals at W.G. Speeks know how to help you prepare for seasonal changes, which can prevent costly breakdowns and repairs on those cold days ahead. Services to help transition into fall include:
- Changing furnace filters
- Cleaning air ducts
- Installing a programmable thermostat
- Updating insulation (this prevents warmed or cooled air from escaping!)
Don’t put it off until something happens. Preventative maintenance can identify areas of concern before they become full-blown problems. We offer a free consultation with our NATE-certified technicians. Give W.G. Speeks a call today!
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