Keeping your mobile home cool in the summer can be difficult, especially if you live in a hot climate. It’s important to find ways to keep your mobile home comfortable and protect against over-heating.
This blog post will explore different cooling options for mobile homes and how to reduce heat exposure while still keeping your mobile home safe from damage due to excessive heat.
Try to Read: How to insulate a mobile home for winter?
Mobile Home Cooling Tips
If you’re a mobile homeowner, the heat can be a real problem. While it’s not quite as serious as trying to keep an entire house cool, heating and cooling a large or small-sized mobile home is still going to require some effort on your part.
There are several ways of keeping your mobile home cool in summer.
We’ll present them in order from least effective (and more expensive) to most effective (and more cost-effective).
1. Covering windows with insulating window film
This is probably the simplest thing you can do to combat excessive heat coming into your living space on hot days.
The idea is simple; insulate the windows so that less heat enters the interior of your home while still letting light and visibility in.
It’s a good option for those that don’t want to spend much but still want to insulate their windows.
It’s also pretty straightforward; they make the film in an array of frosty colours (including black) so they can tint your windows enough to reduce sunlight, but not too much that you can’t see out of them!
Pros: Affordable, easy to do yourself with little effort or training.
Might be sufficient for mobile homes in more temperate climates (i.e., where it gets cold but is rarely sweltering hot).
Cons: Will not keep your home very cool at all on hotter days when temps are over 90°F.
Effectiveness diminishes rapidly when used in this manner.
2. Frosting the windows with spray-on window insulation
As mentioned in the prior section, insulating your windows with interior frosting is a good way to keep the cold air inside during winter and block the heat during summer.
The downside to doing it yourself is that you can’t always get an even layer of insulation on there. If you do it right, great!
But most people don’t know how to do something like that or aren’t sure if they did it correctly so this kind of film ends up looking terrible after just a few days. It may be inexpensive but looks certainly don’t come cheap!
Pros: Cheap, easy enough to do yourself (although not very effective). Good for mobile homes in more temperate climates.
Cons: Effectiveness diminishes rapidly when used in this manner, especially during hot weather. The installation looks cheap because of poor workmanship. Not very effective either.
3. Installing an air conditioner unit inside the mobile home
For many mobile homes, installing a central AC unit is probably one of the best options for keeping cool in summer!
Air conditioning units typically don’t use much power relative to their cooling output so running it won’t greatly increase your electric bill or reduce your home’s lifespan if you plan on living there a long time.
During extremely hot days, you might have to run it almost non-stop but for most people, this will be a rare occasion.
Pros: Keeps the mobile home very cool, minimizing discomfort for residents and making it easier to enjoy the space more.
Saves money on electric bills if you’re there long enough since AC units are not that energy-hungry.
Cons: Can be expensive to install if done with professional help which may also take up precious living space inside your mobile home.
May become costly or impractical down the line if you plan on moving relatively soon after installing one.
Electronic devices usually aren’t designed for harsh environments so you’ll want to make sure it’s protected from moisture both outside and inside of your mobile home!
4. Installing a window air conditioning unit
An alternative to having an entire central AC installed is getting a window unit that you can install inside your mobile home.
If you want to save money, this is probably the best option for you!
They aren’t very expensive new and they’re pretty easy to install yourself since most of them come with a rigid “hanger” that installs between two windows so all you have to do is secure it with a couple screws or nails.
Most window air conditioning units are only around 1-2 tons in capacity so they won’t use much power, either.
But bear in mind that because these devices are designed as portable options for homes and offices, they don’t usually last as long as central ACs which are built into your mobile home’s wall.
Your mileage may vary but if you take care of it well enough, it might last for a few years.
Pros: Cheap, easy to install yourself if you have the right tools and know-how, little power usage so won’t greatly increase your electric bill or reduce home’s lifespan, keeps your mobile home very cool during summer.
Cons: Might not last as long as central ACs which are built into your mobile home’s wall, window units are usually only around 1-2 tons in capacity so they won’t be able to keep up with extremely hot weather unless you’re at home most of the time.
5. Installing an evaporative cooler inside your mobile home
An even cheaper way to keep cool in summer is getting an evaporative cooler that you can install inside your mobile homes!
Evaporative coolers work very similarly to central AC units but in a more indirect way. They cost less and will make you use less electricity but they usually run on a fan motor which makes them pretty loud when the compressor is running.
On the plus side, one evaporative cooler can be used in several mobile homes or houses since you only need an exhaust hose that pokes out of a window.
So if you go for this option, you’ll probably want to get several evaporative coolers for all your windows with great caution because when the weather turns cold again.
It might be a good idea to remove any hoses from outside of your mobile home so no one tries going inside without your permission!
Pros: Cheap, easy to install yourself if you have the right tools and know-how, little power usage so won’t greatly increase your electric bill or reduce home’s lifespan, keeps the mobile home very cool during summer.
Cons: Might not last as long as central ACs which are built into your mobile home’s wall, window units are usually only around 1-2 tons in capacity so they won’t be able to keep up with extremely hot weather unless you’re at home most of the time.
Runs on the fan motor so it will make some noise when the compressor is running.
Evaporative coolers usually run on a fan motor which makes them pretty loud when the compressor is running.
Finally, If you’re looking for a way to keep your home cool this summer, we recommend installing an air conditioner.
Air conditioning is one of the most effective ways to lower indoor temperatures and give you peace of mind that your family will be comfortable all day long.
Also Read: Do RV Batteries Charge When Plugged Into Shore Power?
Conclusion:
Summer is a great time to take a break and hit the open road in your mobile home. But before you go, be sure to follow these tips for keeping your mobile home cool in summer heat. With a little preparation, you can stay comfortable and enjoy your vacation without worrying about the weather.
Have you ever gone on a road trip in a mobile home? What tips would you add?