How to Outsmart the Sun (and Keep Your AC from Quitting on You)

It’s 7:00 AM. The sun is creeping in through your windows like a slow-cooking oven set to “sweat lodge.” And by noon? Your home could be a hotbox, your AC gasping for help, and you wondering why you ever complained about the snow.

Here’s the truth: you can beat the heat without overworking your AC. With a few simple tricks inside your home — and a little TLC outside — you can extend the life of your unit, lower your bills, and stay cool all summer.

Inside Tricks: Your First Line of Defense

1. Become a Vampire (Sort Of):
   Close your blinds, curtains, and shades during peak daylight hours. Sunlight pouring through your windows may feel cheerful, but it’s turning your home into a greenhouse. South and west-facing windows especially act like magnifying glasses. Consider blackout curtains or reflective window film if you’re really serious about heat-blocking.
2. Fan Power:
   Ceiling fans can make your space feel up to 4 degrees cooler — and they cost pennies to run. Just make sure they’re spinning counterclockwise in the summer. Bonus points if you turn them off when you leave the room — fans cool people, not air.
3. Ditch the Heat Generators:
   Avoid using ovens, stovetops, and clothes dryers in the heat of the day. Not only do they raise the indoor temperature, but they also force your AC to work overtime. Microwave, grill outside, or go for a no-cook dinner (you know, sandwiches with a side of not sweating).
4. Seal the Leaks:
   It sounds boring, but weatherstripping and caulk can make a big difference. If cool air is escaping through drafty windows or under your door, you’re literally throwing comfort (and money) out the window.

Outside Tricks: Let Your Unit Breathe

Your AC’s outdoor unit (the condenser) is like your car’s engine. It needs airflow to function properly — and too often, it’s clogged up with gunk or buried in a hedge.

1. Trim the Jungle:
   Keep 2–3 feet of clearance around your AC unit. That means bushes, weeds, flowers, decorative rocks, and your kid’s inflatable pool have to go. Good airflow = less stress on your system.
2. Gently Rinse:
   Take a garden hose (on a light setting) and wash away leaves, grass clippings, and dirt from the fins. No power washers — those can bend the fins and do more harm than good.
3. Create Shade Without Blocking:
   A strategically planted tree or small awning can cool the air around your unit, which makes it run more efficiently. Just don’t suffocate it. You wouldn’t want to nap in the closet with the door closed — neither does your AC.

The Filter Fiasco

Let’s talk about the unsung hero of your system: the air filter.

If it’s clogged, your AC can’t breathe. If it can’t breathe, it runs harder, longer, hotter… and breaks sooner. It’s one of the most common (and avoidable) reasons we get called out to homes during peak season.

Check your filter monthly. Replace it at least every 60–90 days. If you have pets or allergies? Consider replacing it more often. For less than the cost of a pizza, you can help your system last longer and run smoother.

The Real-Life Scenario: Don’t Be That Guy

We had a customer last July who called because his AC wasn’t working. When we got there, we found two things:

• His condenser was buried behind a wall of overgrown vines
• His air filter looked like it had been dipped in charcoal dust

He hadn’t done a thing to maintain it since buying the house three years ago. A few hundred dollars and a very hot family later, he signed up for our Comfort Plus Club — and now he doesn’t have to worry about surprise breakdowns or hidden system killers.

Don’t be that guy.

A Few Final Tricks to Stay Cool:

• Open windows at night (if it’s cooler out) and shut everything tight before 9 AM.
• Install a smart thermostat and program it to chill while you’re home, rest when you’re away.
• Make sure your vents aren’t blocked by furniture — airflow is king.

Need help getting your system summer-ready?
We’ll take a look, clean it up, and make sure everything’s running like new — before the next heatwave hits.

Call us today at (651) 318-0913 and let’s make sure your AC is running as cool as you deserve.

Sincerely,
Bob Boldt
Owner, Bob Boldt HVAC