Living in Phoenix, you get it. The summer heat is no joke and it’s a battle every homeowner is very aware of. So, how do we keep homes cool in Phoenix as affordably as possible? Trying to find that perfect balance of comfort and cost-effectiveness is a challenge we all face every year.
It’s one thing to read advice online, but quite another to *actually* live through those scorching months. The struggle to keep your house cool in the brutal Phoenix summers and not blow the budget on energy bills can be incredibly frustrating and challenging. Let’s take a look at a few things you can do to help keep the cool air in and the hot air out. While there are many expensive things you can do to prepare your home for the summer, there are also a few less expensive things you can do. Some of those things are the color of your home, properly insulate your attic, properly insulated duct work, open bedroom doors, add window coverings, awnings, using ceiling fans, or regular oscillating fans.
Color of the Home
Ever notice all the beige and light-colored homes in the valley? The light paint job can do a better job of reflecting sunlight energy to help contribute to your goals to stay cool in your Phoenix home. While very light-colored homes might give some improvement, a cool roof could improve the energy efficiency even more. Dark colors work the exact opposite and the homeowner is working against themself every moment when those dark colors do exactly what darker color tones tend to do, absorb and hold heat. While some of the lighter colors are good for your home, check with your HOA, if you have one, before changing the color of your home.
Attic insulation
Almost every attic in Phoenix has insulation that has settled to levels where you can see the rafters and that is no more than 4 inches thick. The Department of Energy says that the ideal insulation thickness is at least 13-14 inches deep (R38) for southern climates. While some attics may have sporadic levels of thicker insulation, it is very rare to see the R38 levels. Properly insulating your attic is a game changer. Another effective insulating idea, while much more expensive to install, is foam.
Insulated Ductwork: Don’t Overlook It
Speaking of insulation, insulated duct work is a must. Think of ductwork like the veins and arteries of your cooling system. The issue with poorly insulated ducts is not only can cool air leak out, but the ducts heat up, and as air circulates through the ducts in the hot attic, it absorbs heat, warming the air and causing a less effective cooling for the living space.
It’s physics at its rawest. The first law of thermal dynamics is that heat moves to cold and the greater the temperature difference, the faster the movement. When the attic air is above the temperature of the air being pushed through the duct, energy can go directly to waste and result in higher cooling costs. Investing in properly insulated ducting is a necessary investment in the long-term war against high electric bills.
Bedroom doors
One of the most common complaints we hear is “my bedroom gets hot at night.” Usually this is a result of closing your door. Closed doors do not allow for proper air recirculation and can cause hot humid stale air. Opening doors allows for proper air redistribution throughout the house. If opening the doors is not an option, consider installing pass-through vents above the doors to help with air circulation.
Window coverings
Replacing your windows with high efficiency windows is not an option for everyone. A great alternative that can also help keep your house cooler is window coverings, particularly black out window coverings. Keep them closed during the day and then feel free to open them in the evening, after the sun goes down. This is an easy way to help with the keep the heat out of your home. Install blinds, curtains, tint, or anything to help reflect or block the heat.
Awnings
These outdoor overhangs over windows and doors help block the direct sunlight lessening the greenhouse effect on your home.
Ceiling fans
Always have your ceiling fans on to have constant air movement. Hot stale air in the house is not fun and will cause your HVAC system to run longer. The cost to run a ceiling fan is much less than a HVAC system. They can make a room feel 5-10 degrees cooler without running your AC down further.
Oscillating fans
If you do not have ceiling fans in a room, these small fans are ideal for moving the air in a room. Open your door and let the fan move the air from in the room to out of the room and get fresh air from your AC system to keep the room more comfortable.
Consider a Whole House Fan
This does more than just pull cool air in – it removes the hot, stale air that’s trapped. Whole house fans push air from living spaces *out* through the roof. Often, an AC contractor can connect it to an existing system so things are streamlined as far as having it installed with little disruption.
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Your Choice of Lights & Appliances Matters
Think about your appliances and your choice of lighting. They all contribute to that overall problem you might be having when seeking strategies to keep your Phoenix home cool. Look for those Energy Star labels when buying new stuff.
Old-school incandescent lights throw off *way* more heat than most realize. They are so inefficient that according to energy.gov, 90% of the energy they use is given off as heat. Switching to LED bulbs can produce a cooler difference, plus saving on energy over time by using 20-25% of the energy and lasting 15-25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Strategic Landscaping for a Cool Home
Landscaping can play a surprisingly important role; take shade trees for example. Trees like eucalyptus, elm, or ash, will put off a very large shadow once they grow mature. Even planting trees with less leaves, offer an improvement on temperatures by reducing some of the radiant energy. The great thing about trees, is they add natural beauty, and assist in protecting the house without resorting to electrical approaches.
Consider Your Ground Cover
Reducing the total concrete area you have can change some of that absorbed energy. Swapping concrete for alternatives, reduces temperature during the day, and will cool faster after the sun goes down. So, anything you’re willing to remove and switch out could play a small part in minimizing surrounding property heat absorption.
Rethink Your Roof
Your roof is your first line of defense from the sun. Dark rooftops soak up the sun’s energy, and radiate heat. Think of your roof like the hat your house wears in the middle of summer. Nobody wants to wear dark colors in the summer as they absorb heat and are hot on your skin. Same for your roof, a dark roof will absorb heat, heat the air in your attic and transfer it to your home.
Consider Using Cool Roofing
It isn’t that it simply keeps a house more temperate, but by having the roof itself reject much of the sun’s radiant energy, helps your HVAC system work more efficiently. “Cool roofs” can actually reject a lot of that energy, and save money in the long run. The use of light-colored materials and special coatings makes the roof a friend rather than a foe.
How Much Can You Save With a Cool Roof?
Applying a reflective coating to your roof can significantly minimize its tendency to absorb heat energy by up to 60%. The less heat gain is occurring on the roof, the more it helps keep your home cool.
Here is an overview of different roofing materials and their reflective properties:
Roofing Material | Solar Reflectance | Impact on Cooling |
Dark Asphalt Shingles | Low (0.05-0.15) | Absorbs significant heat, increasing cooling needs. |
Light Asphalt Shingles | Moderate (0.15-0.25) | Reflects some heat, slightly reducing cooling needs. |
White Metal Roof | High (0.60-0.70) | Reflects a large amount of heat, significantly reducing cooling needs. |
Clay Tiles | Moderate to High | Can be good, especially in light colors. |
Cool Roof Coatings | Very High (0.70-0.85) | Can be applied to various materials to boost reflectance and reduce cooling needs. |
HVAC Optimization Is a Key to Keep House Cool in Phoenix
Your HVAC system works hard and many homeowners never pay much attention to it, assuming that it’s operating fine as long as it’s throwing out cold air. Then, there’s the thought I hear all too often, “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it”. Think of your AC unit like a car – you can either keep it serviced in a responsible way, or you roll the dice to wait and see what problems pop up.
Scheduling regular AC maintenance can identify issues before they become big, expensive headaches, on the hottest day of the year. Technicians can check refrigerant levels, clean coils, and fix any worn-out parts. A well-maintained system will cool more efficiently and effectively.
Consider SEER2 Ratings
If, and when you need a new system, consider the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating; now the SEER2 rating. No, that is not a typo. The EPA has changed their HVAC system ratings to the SEER2 rating rather than the more widely known SEER rating. The SEER2 rating is like a fuel economy rating; the higher the fuel economy, the more efficient the engine works with the car as a whole. When looking for a way to keep house temperatures low, higher SEER numbers indicate a system that consumes energy more efficiently and may be a good idea. While cost is always the most important factor, one should aim for ratings of at least 15 SEER2, but systems with SEER2 ratings of 16 to 18 could be worth investing in.
Properly Size Your Unit
A system that’s too small will be in a constant state of struggle and overworking itself, which will become expensive. If a system is larger than needed, there are a couple factors that need to be addressed. One, it costs more unnecessary money upfront, and two, it may not completely condition (remove humidity) the air in your home making it feel warmer than it is. Your thermostat is a switch that functions on the temperature of the air and if it cools too quickly and not enough air has been drawn across the indoor coils to remove the humidity, it will still feel warm in the home causing the homeowner to go to the thermostat and drop the temp more running the system more than it needs to and thus having higher energy bills.
It’s a delicate balance to get it just right. Getting this dialed in perfectly helps staying cool in the Valley of the Sun a tremendous amount.
Consider Mini-Split Systems
These units offer an alternative, allowing individual room-by-room temperature control without any reliance on ductwork. Mini-split systems aren’t as common, but when the time comes to replace an existing HVAC system, it may make sense to upgrade at that time.
Conclusion
There’s no magic trick or one size fits all approach for keeping a house cool during the peak heat of the Arizona summers. The strategies that work best to help you keep your house cool are a combination of many things directed to increasing the efficiency measures regarding all aspects of your home. These actions can range from AC maintenance, to simple tricks you can do around the house, or home improvement projects; whether they be small and affordable or larger and more expensive, they all play a vital role in your summer comfort. By considering these important areas you can keep your house cool and comfortable even during peak temps. Consider each of the options, talk it through, ask questions, weigh the cost difference from today and future prices, plus what it is going to cost in energy bills. When you’re ready to talk about what might be right for your home, please reach out and we will be happy to help you make that informed decision and be more comfortable in the summer heat.
