Keeping Pets Cool In Your Home When You're Not Around

Posted on: 12 December 2016

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People who have pets really tend to care about them and want them to be as comfortable as possible. However, leaving on your air conditioning unit at full blast all day when you're not home can really crank up your electric bills and increase your carbon footprint. Here are some tips and tricks for keeping your pets cool during the summertime when you're not home without upping your electric bill too much.

1. Pay Attention to Where Your Pet Hangs Out

The first thing that you want to do is pay attention to where your pet is spending the majority of his or her time. The heat during the summer is not uniform, so it is smart to keep track of where your pet is to figure out if you truly need to leave the air conditioner on. If your pet is spending most of his or her time in front of the air conditioning unit, then that's a good sign that you will need to keep it running, if at a slightly higher temperature, during the day. If your pet is chilling in various other parts of your home, simply having the air continue to circulate to increase the efficiency of his or her panting will be enough to keep your pet cool.

2. Make the Basement a Viable Option

Next, if you have a basement, make it a viable option for your pet to hang out during the day because it tends to be cooler down there. The cool air from the air conditioner is going to sink to lower levels, so your pet will be able to enjoy the cool air longer if he or she is down the basement. Put your pet's favorite blankets and toys down the basement during the summer and include a water dish so that he or she will be able to feel comfortable and welcomed down the basement. Once your pet has made the transition, you can reduce how intense your air conditioning is during the day.

3. Use a Dehumidifier

If there is a separate dehumidifier on your air conditioning unit that you can leave on and turn the rest of it off, make sure that you do so. Your pet needs the air to not be saturated with moisture in order to make his or her panting effective for cooling him or her off. By leaving the dehumidifier on, you can be sure that your pet is going to be comfortable. 

For more information, talk to your air conditioning company. They might have other tips