21 Ways to Keep Your Cool

Sun, sand & beaches, ahhh it must be summertime. On the downside we have the heat, the blessed humidity, and that oh so bright sun beating down on us. Below are some of our tips adopted from the original http://blog.sls-construction.com/2012/25-ways-keep-cool-during-heat-wave-summer
· You’re Vehicle:
o Look for a shady spot to park, walking beats the 200° you’re can reach
o REMEMBER – AT NO TIME should you leave a child or pet in your car (see above)
o Hot steering wheel, consider a sun shade or throw a towel over it
o To get in to a super hot vehicle without frying or standing in the sun for too long – roll down the windows part way & open & close a door a few times
· Work & Play:
o Try to plan you’re activities so you are not out during the hottest parts of the day
o Wearing a hat with light weight, light colored & loose fitting clothing that covers all the skin is best.
o Make sure you stay hydrated – as the saying goes, if you are getting thirsty it’s too late…
o Check the link above for more specific advice that applies to working in the heat, etc…
· Cooking & Cleaning:
o Wasted or used energy (electricity, gas, etc…) has one major by-product which is heat, so the less you do inside, the less your AC has to remove
o Consider cooking more with your microwave, outdoor grill, or crock pot
o Use the delay timer on your clothes washer and dishwasher so they run during the night
o Use your bath & kitchen vents as controlling the amount of moisture in the air the key to being comfortable
· Lights & Appliances:
o Not only does this save electricity, but by turning items off you cut down on the heat generated
o Change out incandescent bulbs with more efficient CFL or LED bulbs. Be warned bulbs give off heat as also shown below, but the less power required, the less heat they radiate
o Check your air filter regularly & stay up on your homes maintenance
o Make sure your water heater is set no higher than 120°
· Cooling Strategies:
o Consider opening your windows at night if the temps are at or below an acceptable level AND the dew point is 50 or lower
o Turn the AC down at night (say from 78 or 80 to 75 or 76) as this will not only help you sleep better, remove more moisture, but also help cool the place off for the next day. (If you have a time of useplan you win even more)
o If you live in a “dry-heat” area consider utilizing a “swamp” or evaporative cooler Unfortunately though as soon as the dew point hits 45 or above the “comfortable feeling” will disappear quickly& you will need to flip the cover & switch over to AC
o Use a ceiling fans or portable fan for spot cooling / moving the air around. Of course you should turn them off when you are not in the room /area
o While moving air is great, leave the AC fan on “Auto” in most climates as you do not want to re-introduce that water that was extracted back into the air
#13 - You might be amazed at how much heat some devices put off, even in stand-by mode, make sure you shut them off & for certain items consider hooking them to a surge strip
#14 - Infrared shot of incandescent bulbs that were only on for a few minutes - make sure you flip the switch when you leave
#14 - Don't be fooled, CFL's & LED's can be very hot also -the catch is that they don't give off as much do to the smaller draw
#21 - shade does a body & the house good, whether from trees, shutters or even solar screens
#19 - Just like other appliances, if you are not in the room the fan will not help cool you down & instead will heat the space
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  • Harriet Harriet on Jul 16, 2013
    why not just hang your clothes on the line outside? We found many years ago that we could save a lot of money by hanging our outerwear on coat hangers, towels over chairs till they dry. No use of kilowat hours, etc. We even hang our undies on shower rods and door knobs...dry in a few hours, no expense.
  • Marie S Marie S on Jul 16, 2013
    for years I used to freeze milk jugs of water, set them in front or back of the box fan (milk jug in container to hold the melting water) it works real good, my ferrets thought this was great way to get water to drink. I live in an older mobile home with metal roof (not of my doing) so when we were able to afford AC's, one for living room/kitchen, hubby bedroom and my bedroom. With my AC going it helped to cool off the hallway.
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