During summer heat, stay cool inside and outside!
On this page you'll find tips for keeping your indoor spaces cool and finding cool areas outside during hots summer days and nights.
On this page you'll find tips for keeping your indoor spaces cool and finding cool areas outside during hots summer days and nights.
Stay Cool Inside!
Check out these cool tips for how to regulate indoor temperatures. We've put together a comparison of: fans, air conditioning, heat pumps (aka mini splits), & swamp coolers
Check out these cool tips for how to regulate indoor temperatures. We've put together a comparison of: fans, air conditioning, heat pumps (aka mini splits), & swamp coolers
Fans
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Heat pumps (aka mini splits)
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Swamp Cooler
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Air Conditioner
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fans
Pros
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evaporative coolers (aka swamp coolers)
Evaporative coolers use water to cool the air in your home. They work well in Missoula's dry summers and can add moisture to the air to increase comfort.
Smaller models can be portable or window-installed. Roof-mounted swamp coolers are also available to cool entire homes.
If you're a DIY person, you can even learn how to make your own swamp cooler for cheap on this cool YouTube video!
Smaller models can be portable or window-installed. Roof-mounted swamp coolers are also available to cool entire homes.
If you're a DIY person, you can even learn how to make your own swamp cooler for cheap on this cool YouTube video!
Pros
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air conditioners
Air conditioners have the greatest cooling capacity of any cooling appliance. They use chemical refrigerants and can be set to a specific temperature. To save money and use them most efficiently, use A/C in conjunction with these Energy Smart tips, and run A/C only when necessary.
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Cons |
Tips for Best Use |
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Heat pumps (aka mini splits)
Pros
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Cons
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Tips for Best Use
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Shopping for a cooling device? Here are some things to consider.
cost
Remember to consider not only the up-front cost of purchasing a cooling appliance, but also the costs of installation (if any) as well as the longer term costs of operating it. Fans are the cheapest option. The cost of purchasing a heat pump* (also known as a mini split), swamp cooler or air conditioner varies widely based on the type and the size of the space they can cool, but air conditioners are much more expensive to operate. Heat pumps can both heat and cool very efficiently - they'll likely give you the most cooling-bang for your buck!
*For more info on heat pump heating and cooling, visit our Electrify Missoula webpage.
*For more info on heat pump heating and cooling, visit our Electrify Missoula webpage.
cooling capacity
Air conditioners, including air source heat pumps, have the greatest ability to significantly cool a room or home. They offer more precise temperature control than swamp coolers or fans.
installation
Will you choose a portable appliance, or one that requires installation?
effects on humidity
Swamp coolers add moisture to the air, while air conditioners and heat pumps dry out the air. Fans have no effect on humidity.
maintenance
Swamp coolers require regular upkeep, air-conditioning units and heat pumps require yearly maintenance, and fans require almost no maintenance.
energy use
Fans use the least energy, followed by heat pumps, then swamp coolers. Air conditioners use the most energy and also emit CO2 directly from the chemical cooling process used.
choose the energy star
Created by the U.S. Department of Energy, this certification can be found on cooling appliances that operate more efficiently and use less energy.
personal needs
Most people can tolerate moderate levels of heat in their homes. However, some people - including senior citizens, very young children, pregnant women, and those with certain pre-existing health conditions - are at greater risk of heat-related illness.
complementary cooling
Different cooling appliances can be used together to increase effectiveness and save energy. For example, using fans helps reduce the amount of air conditioning needed. Using Shade and being Energy Smart can also reduce how often you need to use cooling appliances.
Stay Cool Outside!
Shade helps us stay happy and healthy during hot summer days. We can create shade around our homes, schools, parks, sidewalks, roads, and businesses - it's easy! Many things we do to create shade, like planting trees, also have other benefits in addition to keeping us cool.
Shade helps us stay happy and healthy during hot summer days. We can create shade around our homes, schools, parks, sidewalks, roads, and businesses - it's easy! Many things we do to create shade, like planting trees, also have other benefits in addition to keeping us cool.
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GROW TREES, SHRUBS, AND VINES TO CREATE AN URBAN OASIS! Trees and other plants help keep homes, businesses, and communities cool during the summer.
URBAN TREES
When planted in the right place, trees can provide shade to homes, parks, businesses, roads, and more! how do urban trees help with heat?
Trees and vegetation lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade as well as through evapotranspiration. Shaded surfaces, for example, may be 20–45°F cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded areas. Evapotranspiration (sweaty plants or soil), alone or in combination with shading, can help reduce peak summer temperatures by 2–9°F.
As added benefits, trees can help us adapt to climate change, filter pollutants from the atmosphere, reduce energy bills, increase property value, and provide habitat for birds and critters to co-exist with us in our city in the forest! where should i plant?
Planting trees or vines to the west and south are typically most effective for cooling, especially if they shade windows and part of the building’s roof. what should i plant?
Drought-resistant, native trees
We have a new nifty one-pager describing what kinds of trees and shrubs to consider planting!
OTHER PLANTS
A well-landscaped yard, or just a few plants, can reduce the need for air conditioning while increasing home value! vines
hanging gardens
Hanging Gardens
Use hanging baskets, repurposed rain gutters, or get creative! More Other fast-growing plants (like hops!) provide lots of shade! |
BUILD IT. ADD IT. CREATE IT. Shade matters when it's hot. Shading is the most efficient way to cut solar heat gain through windows and walls. There are many simple and cool ways to add shade for your indoor and outdoor comfort!
AWNINGS
BLINDS
Exterior Blinds True to their name, exterior blinds are mounted on outside and above a window. They provide the most heat reduction during hot summer months. And by letting some light in, you don't feel like you're living in a cave! Interior Blinds A simple and easy way to start shading and reducing heat in your home! Highly reflective blinds, when completely closed on a sunny window, can reduce heat gain up to 45%. They can also be adjusted to block and reflect direct sunlight onto a light-colored ceiling. A light-colored ceiling will diffuse the light without much heat or glare. And curtains are better than nothing. sun screens
Sunscreens are one of the most inexpensive shade structures. They can be installed outside your home to absorb 65-70% of solar heat gain! shade sails
You can shade windows or other outdoor spaces with stylish shade sails! They are made of durable fabric, are easy to install, and come in many different colors.
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SHADE SHELTERS
Afternoon shade during the heat of the summer is essential. And if we're adding shade to our public spaces, why not make it architecturally awesome, build it out of wood scraps, place it where people walk and bike, and do it all collaboratively? We now have four shade shelters in Missoula with another to come in 2023!
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Shade Shelter #1 along the RiverOur first Shade Shelter is along the Milwaukee Trail, south side of the Clark Fork River, near the Higgins Bridge.
We partnered with the fine folks at MMW Architects to design and build our first shade shelter for Missoula. MMW created the design and helped us every step of the way. MMW partnered with Beaudette Consulting Engineers to ensure the structure would stand the test of time. The wood structure was built by our friends at Home ReSource who carefully pieced together scrap wood off-cuts and "workshopped" the building of the structure with their crew! The pieces came together with additional donated reused planks from our friends at Heritage Timber. Boyce Lumber donated materials for the concrete forms. The irreplaceable Bob from Bitterroot Welding crafted the metal pieces, brought the structure to the site, and welded everything in place. Native Yards stepped in at the end to provide the decomposed granite surface. Thanks Don, Sarah and Chris from MMW, Steve from Home ReSource and Morgan from Missoula's Parks and Recreation Dept. Thanks to Rick and Scott for strategizing and on site.
Funding for this first Shelter came from our 2016 Bloomberg Award for Partners for Places - a project of the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. Thank you Bloomberg Philanthropies! We were also generously supported by our community partners as noted, and by New Belgium Brewing Co.
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Shade Shelter #2 - the Bitterroot TrailOur second Shade Shelter is along the Bitterroot Trial, 6th St + Ronan.
This one came about as we partnered with Trees for Missoula and Missoula Parks and Rec. Again we partnered with MMW Architects to design a shelter to maximize shade at this site and with Home ReSource to build the frame itself. 
Don, Amy, Steve, Karen and Chris at the 2019 Ribbon cutting"
This creatively designed shelter, along with newly planted trees and native grasses, adds a unique spark to an area along this popular trail. Brought to our community by the efforts of myriad partners, the shelter is also made from reclaimed lumber and wood milled from dead trees removed from the urban forest.
Many other businesses and community volunteers helped make this shelter happen. Funding came from a $7,500 DNRC Program Development Grant to Trees for Missoula and $2,500 from the Washington Foundation (via the Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association) plus in-kind direct support from all involved. Here's the Ribbon Cutting newsflash on ABCFox - July 19! |
