Beat the heat! According to THIS OLD HOUSE (as posted on thisoldhouse.com), it is possible to stay cool and only spend around $25!
Interested? Thinking it's too good to be true? Well, as for myself, these fixes are pretty easy and also pretty cheap.10 Ways to Beat the Heat By David Dobbs
"No, it's not your imagination—it definitely is getting hotter. The eight warmest years on record occurred over the past decade. But staying cool this summer doesn't necessarily mean you have to pay a fortune to keep the air-conditioning running day and night. Here are 10 tips—most costing less than $25—that will keep you comfortable and cut the typical $1,000 cooling bill by as much as half. What's needed to get the temperature to drop? Only a little time and a few changes in your routine."
What does he recommend first? Easy - changing the setting on your thermostat. Homeowners who can bear to set their central air conditioning to 78 degrees save on cooling.
Second - Use a fan. I told you all this was a good idea. According to Dobbs,
"A fan, which costs two to five cents per hour to operate, will make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. Also, a fan works well in tandem with an air conditioner because the dehumidifying action of the air conditioner provides drier air that the fan can then move around."
Third - Use your environment:
"At night when the temperature drops, open windows and bring in cool air with window fans or a whole-house fan. As soon as the sun comes up or the air starts to heat up, shut the windows and shades and keep doors closed."
Fourth- BLOCK THE SUN - use shades, drapes, awnings...etc. Even trees.
Fifth - Install a programmable thermostat - OR make use of the one you already have. If you have a programmable thermostat, but are using it like a manual (turning it off and on whenever you want) you aren't saving any money. One of the biggest benefits for the programmable thermostat is that you can set it to any temperature. So if you aren't home from 8-5 you can run your air conditioning programmed at 80-85 degrees. Then, at 5, you can have the temperature crank up to 78 or 75, so that when you walk in the door at 5:30 your home is comfortable. Believe it or not it takes less energy to maintain a cool temperature than to cool down your home after it's been soaking up the heat all day. It can reach temperatures in the high 100s inside your closed-up home in direct sunlight. How long do you think it will take to get your home to a livable temperature after it's been baking all day? It's much better to avoid that situation all together!
Sixth - Don't add extra heat to your home - Avoid cooking in the oven, or running warm appliances like the dish washer or clothes dryer. These can add to your cooling space.
Seventh - Avoid incandescent bulbs - or turn off unneeded lights all together.
Eighth - Make sure your ducts are installed properly and maintained at a regular basis. If there are leaks or cracks in the ducts- or even if something got pulled away you could be paying to heat your attic or other semi-outside space. It is important to get your ducts inspected if you have lost force in your air flow.
Ninth - seal around windows & doors - if your home is leaky - you are inviting hot air from the outside in, and paying for it to be cooled.
Tenth - Insulate your attic - the attic can get up to 150 degrees! That air will make your entire home feel hotter. There are different ways you can prevent this from ceiling insulation to radiant heat barriers. See what would be best for you.
This old house also has videos etc. on how to install any of these items and more HVAC tips!
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