Cool Home Office – 3 Tips to Be Comfortable; Save Money
Working from your home office during hot weather can be uncomfortable, unpleasant and unproductive. Here are 3 simple tips for a cool home office by being smart(er).
The biggest complaint in corporate offices (after noisy distractions) is the temperature. In your home office, you control the distractions. And while you may be paying the bill for a cool home office, you have more options too.
3 tips on a cool home office. Beat the heat. Liquid solutions optional.
Some of these tips you already know; some are of the “I should have thought of that” variety. Read on for some out-of the-box tips to jog your own ideas.
3 Tips on How to set-Up a Cool Home Office
1. Draw the blinds and close the curtains, where appropriate.
The sunlight in your home office that warmed you in the winter can make your work space a sauna in the summer. Block out that radiant heat from the sun. Close those drapes and shades.
2. Use your air conditioner wisely for a cool home office.
Set it for a standard temperature of about 78 degrees. Your wintertime temperature settings of 68 degrees (and a sweater) are good for staying comfortable while saving energy and money. In the summertime 78 degrees can be just as comfortable (with lighter clothes). Setting your air conditioner for a warmer temperature, such as 78 degrees, can save you 40% in energy and money compared to a temperature setting of 73 degrees – just a five degree difference.
Don’t be bound by the digital or dial temp readings on your air conditioner, they are seldom accurate. Set them to a temperature that is comfortable, but not cool.
Use the “energy saver” settings so the air conditioner kicks-in only when the room temperature rises too much. It will automatically shut down the cooling function when the room gets to the right temperature. This avoids the AC running and running until your realize that you are freezing. This is also often better than turning the AC off and on, as it will not be running so hard to play catch-up in a warm room.
You want to set-it and forget-it.
3. For a cool home office use fans to supplement your air conditioner
Fans use less energy than air conditioners.
A fan or two in addition to your air conditioner helps to move around that cool air. This is especially helpful if your desk is a distance away from your air conditioner. You also won’t have to set the AC on “freeze” to get the working area of your home office cool and comfortable.
Some people set up a fan directly in front of their window or vent air conditioner to get the cold air moving into the room.
Some place a fan several feet away from the air conditioner, where the breeze from the AC starts to drop off. This gives the cooled air a boost and moves it where you want it.
Following these tips will help you have a cooler home office without hocking the car to pay your electric bill.
In my own home office I have the air conditioner set to 78 degrees with the “energy saver” mode on. There is a rotating fan about halfway between the AC and my desk. It gently moves the cooled air to me without any drafts. (I hate drafts, find them uncomfortable and distracting.) I am comfortable and can focus on my work.
How do you keep cool in hot weather? My friend Ann says “My oven is closed for the season.” Share your tips in the comments below.
Want more tips on how to have a comfortable home office? Buy a copy of Linda’s book – The Smarter Home Office: 8 Simple Steps to Improve Your Inspiration, Income and Comfort.
HT to Apartment Therapy for some of these ideas and stats.
photo by Marc Faladeau
