Wet Concrete to Stay CoolOur central air conditioning unit broke a while ago, but even when it was working, we didn't use it too much in order to cut costs. One of our favourite things to do to keep cool is spray the backyard concrete with cold water when the sun starts going down and open the back doors.
Cooling Down the Stove Eye (Burner)I'm trying to stay cool in this hot weather. I blanched a pot of peas for freezing and it put off a lot of heat. To cool the stove eye quickly, I set the frying pan, with ice water in it, on the eye. It cut the heat down instantly. Afterwards, I just poured the water out, dried the pan, and put it away.
Blocking the Heat from a WindowI have two west facing windows. Needless to say, they get hot. I also have things in my window that shouldn't get hot but have no other place to put them. I spent $1.00 and 15 minutes on a fix that hopefully will help block out some of the sun.
Use Window Fans Before Air ConditioningOur second floor bedroom gets very hot in the summer. I found a twin window fan at Goodwill for $3.50. Despite the fact that it has been over 90 degrees for several days, the room has been comfortable, and sometimes too cold for my always-too-warm husband!
Place Ice in Front Of Fan For Cool AirLooking for a way for keeping cool without an air conditioner? Put a large bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan. Turn on the fan. The ice will cool the air from the fan and quickly cool you off. Replace ice cubes as needed.
Blocking Gaps From Window A/C UnitI just recently had my window air conditioner installed by a friend. There is always a gap that needs to be taped or something every year. Today, I did the living room one with the self sticking plastic. It came out perfect and hardly showed.
Cover Sliding Door With Trash Bags To Keep CoolKeep your house cooler by putting trash bags on sliding doors when it is hot and sunny outside. My sliding door lets a huge amount of sun and heat in in the morning. I use those large black yard waste trash bags to block the sun and heat. Painters tape will hold the bag.
Keep Wet Towel in Refrigerator to Cool OffI keep a sopping-wet micro fiber towel in a sealed Ziploc baggie in my refrigerator. I use the towel to wet myself down when heat gets to be too much. I then rinse the towel, wet it again to level of "soppiness", and cool in the refrigerator.
Use Central Air Fan to Save EnergyWhen it gets very hot in the summer and my central air conditioning doesn't seem to be able to get everything equally cool, instead of running extra fans in rooms where there are no ceiling fans, I use the fan setting on the central air.
Use a Window Fan To Cool HomeTo keep your house comfy and save money on electricity during summertime, buy an exhaust fan that you can easily mount/dismount in one of your windows.
Use Vinyl Tablecloth as Curtain to Keep Out HeatI took a cheap vinyl flannel-backed tablecloth, cut small holes and thread it through the curtain rod on our back door and small back window. It worked!
Keep Lower Windows Closed In Hot WeatherI've sat and thought about it and tried it and learned that if you open the top portion of a double hung window about an inch or two on both floors of your house, keeping the bottom window closed. Turn on the attic fan and your ceiling fans if you like.
Keep House Cool Without ACWhere I live the summer's get pretty hot and muggy, many times temps will be 90s and 100s, with humidity at or above 50 percent. And if I ran the A/C, my electric bill would be close to or above $400 a month, way more than I can afford!
Use Ice In Front Of A FanTo keep cool on a very hot day, turn on your fan and arrange a bowl of ice-cubes in front of it. Just like having an air-conditioner without the cost. Enjoy!
Use Auto Sun Shades on Your House WindowsUse windshield sun shades on windows and skylights to keep sun out and your living space cooler.
Save Money on Air ConditioningElectric bill high from air conditioning usage? I have two suggestions: Turn the air off and clean the coils. And have freon level checked by a professional and increased, if needed.
Box Fan FiltersJust picked up some clever filters for my box fans from the thrift shop - They are shaped like large shower caps and made out of a "pellon" material. . .
Small Fans To Keep My House CoolerSmall Oscillating Fans Keep House Cooler. I purchased small oscillating fans to place in the corners of each room in the house (excluding the bathroom). . .
Homemade Swamp Coolers for Hot DaysRemember in a heat wave - water evaporating has a cooling effect. Like the old days, I put small bowls of water/ice cubes in front of my fans to get some cooling.
Advice For Using FansAbout using fans - It usually cools off at night - so use that to your advantage and have fans running at night to bring in the cooler air. Then you can use your air conditioning only during the day...
Inexpensive Solar DrapesFor an inexpensive alternative to solar drapes, go to a camping store and buy emergency solar blankets. Tacky glue can be used to make a pocket for a tension rod to slip through.
Clean And Reuse Vent FiltersI buy the blue fiberglass air conditioner vent filters. They usual come 4 in a pack for about $2.00. Instead of changing them and throwing them away every 4 months, I vacuum them, reuse them and they are as good as new.
Preventing Deterioration of Tubes for Swamp CoolersFor roof top swamp coolers, thread the filler tube from the outside faucet through a piece of garden hose up to the swamp cooler. this will prevent the tube from deteriorating due to the heat from the sun...
Air Conditioner TipsTips for getting the most out of your air conditioner. Post your ideas.
Installing Air Conditioning UnitsDon't wait till summertime to install an air conditioning unit. If you can wait till the 1st week in September through the 2nd week in October. Air conditioning systems usually are marked down sometimes up to 30% in price.
Checking the Air ConditionerIn the spring or summer, check your outside air conditioner compressor before turning it on for the season. Rinse out any dirt that might have blown in. Be sure to turn the power off first.
Prepare Your Swamp Cooler for WinterFoam "egg crates" (mattress pad) can be used to weatherize your swamp cooler. Remove the cover plate and stuff the egg crate into the empty hole. Be sure your swamp cooler is shut down (water off, power off).
Get Second Opinion When Fixing Air ConditionerRecently the motor on my fan went out. In the climate where I live, an AC is not optional. So I called around to have it fixed. The first company I called said that I needed a new motor.
