8 Ways To Keep Cool Without Air Conditioning (PHOTOS)

From The Daily Green's Senior Editor Dan Shapley:

With much of the U.S. experiencing a summer heat wave, everyone's thinking about cooling off. While the modern office, and 84% of U.S. homes use air conditioners, we can all save money by using them less; after all, the typical U.S. home spends 17% of its annual energy bill on cooling - about $375.

We can all save energy, too, which on the hottest summer days can have an immediate payoff: avoiding an electricity blackout caused by an overloaded power grid. Here are eight trustworthy tips for cooling your home (and yourself) without the use of the air conditioner - or at least without as much use of the air conditioner.

See The Daily Green's 8 Ways to Keep Cool Without AC as a single page.

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1. Close your windows

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It may seem counterintuitive, but opening the windows will often make your home warmer, not cooler. Open your windows at night if the air outside is cooler than inside, and close them – along with blinds and shades – before the sun hits your house in the morning. This will allow cool night air to circulate, and prevent a good deal of the sun's heat from reaching indoors. You may also put houseplants – particularly larger potted trees – in front of sunny windows to absorb some of the sun's energy. Check out the smartest (and strangest) green homes.

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It may seem counterintuitive, but opening the windows will often make your home warmer, not cooler. Open your windows at night if the air outside is cooler than inside, and close them – along with blinds and shades – before the sun hits your house in the morning. This will allow cool night air to circulate, and prevent a good deal of the sun's heat from reaching indoors. You may also put houseplants – particularly larger potted trees – in front of sunny windows to absorb some of the sun's energy.

Check out the smartest (and strangest) green homes.

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Republished with permission of Hearst Communications.

Comments

[GeorgyP]

11:46 AM on 08/13/2010

http://www.caseyserviceshvac.com is a Wake Forest heating contractor that can help install energy efficient AC units to cool your home.

[Harry Duncan]

12:52 AM on 08/05/2010

Here's another tip for saving energy. We have massive western facing windows in our house which acted like an oven in the summer time. Our AC system could not keep up. We looked at numerous options and decided to purchase inexpensive window tint kits from SnapTint. They were easy to install and really helped cut down on the heat and glare coming into the house. It allowed our AC system to manage and keep the house cool. SnapTint's website is www.SnapTint.com

[coco51]

04:50 PM on 07/27/2010

All of these suggestions are fantastic for the bi-level home dweller. However, for those of us living in multi-storey buildings what are the best ideas for saving energy/money & saving the environment/health? I live on the 12th floor of a 18 storey building in NYC, my windows face east!

[millicent101]

07:30 AM on 07/15/2010

A fan, really? Talk about your cheap filler. I am 2 degrees warmer after reading!

[PresidentRobertBooth]

05:33 PM on 07/14/2010

Here's my tip....


Get a beautiful woman, or handsome man (depending on your preference) to suck on an ice cube, then blow cool air onto your skin followed by a cold refreshing kiss.

[skyslimit]

05:32 PM on 07/14/2010

72° here in San Francisco California.

[rombel]

02:13 PM on 07/14/2010

U know how putting your feet in the lake or the ocean for a bit cools u off, try it at home. U will see your body temperature will go down. It works great. u feel so cool. It's called AC for the body.

[CheaMonica]

12:07 PM on 07/14/2010

These 8 ways are not only good for keeping cool without Air Conditioning but they are also good for saving money. So should try these tips then....

[SwimToCenter]

06:52 PM on 07/13/2010

Wow, I shared that I'm living, by choice, without AC and pretty comfortable....& folks get defensive! (By the way...Atlanta gets very hot and HUMID with NO breeze)

Give up your precious-es ! Before you turns into Gollum !! At least take a break from it now & then so that you can a) exercise b) sweat. Sweating is not a sin.

[imhoHP]

05:38 PM on 07/13/2010

I am imhoHP, and I approved these tips.

[MexiChick67]

05:36 PM on 07/13/2010

I installed ceiling fans in every room in my house (including the kitchen). Keep them running all day long, although some evenings it's cool enough to turn some off. My AC doesn't work as hard because the air is flowing around the house and not stagnate. I live in an area where temperatures can go over 100 during the summer and freezing (below 30) during the winter. The fans keep the house cozy in the winter, too. They keep the hot air from accumulating in the ceiling. I highly recommend them.

[johnjohn1234]

05:11 PM on 07/13/2010

Move to Canada, strategically.

[WayOutHere]

06:02 PM on 07/13/2010

I'm in an area of Canada that usually counts two or three H&H ( hot and humid) days a year, so normally I'd agree with you, but for the past three or four years we've been getting more and more H&H weather, and this year we have a bona fide heat wave . We've been seeing a Humidex in the mid thirties. It might be normal summer weather in some places, but I HATE it! Thank GOD for our wind!

[lff]

05:10 PM on 07/13/2010

can create a pleasant breeze to cool a room significantly...ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so turn it off when you leave the room..."

So which is it. Do ceiling fans cool rooms or not and should we turn it off or not?

lff

[KIVPossum]

05:07 PM on 07/13/2010

They didn't mention attic fans. Before A/C became common, almost every southern home had one. Do a very good job

[dimplasm]

05:38 PM on 07/13/2010

I remember this as a child. Open windows and the attic fan on. It worked fairly well. Still hot as hell though.

[Eartha]

09:19 AM on 07/14/2010

I remember the sound of our attic fan at bedtime, such sweet relief. However, if a parent decided to cut it off during the night it was like an alarm going off. I wonder why people didn't choose to keep the attic fans as an option for cooling. I understand adding the central HVAC, but a variety of options for all seasons would be better. Also, I have never in my adult life bought/owned a home with functional windows, as previous owners had nailed them shut.

[mayacanogop]

04:36 PM on 07/13/2010

For those who have old school swamp coolers, pack the bottom with ice or a lots of ice packs it works that how we do it on the west-sideeeah in Cali4nia perhaps poor folk like myself need a financial aid bail out to pay for the ice are you listening President Obama

2. Stay on the bus if you don’t work

3. Go to the book store Borders and read free magazines all day

4. Go to the library read about politics American history hang out with the homeless perhaps learn something about poverty

[moonstruck10]

04:47 PM on 07/13/2010

Inserting periods would really help your post. Some decent suggestions though.