Our weather has been nothing less than wonky this year but the heat is in full swing now. We’re averaging around 110 degrees and some god-awful humidity has descended upon us. What a horrible, horrible thing humidity is.
Every year for the past several years, we’ve managed to bump up the temperature setting on our AC. What started at 84 at night and 80 during the day, is now 86 at night and between 83-85 during the day. It’s been a slow acclimation but it’s working. Anything lower and we’re using throw blankets. And I’m sorry, but if you have to use a throw blanket in the summer (and you don’t have the flu) you could stand the turn up that AC and save a few bucks (and tons of CO2!).
Last year, I wrote about all the ways to stay cool in the summer, while using less energy and decreasing your AC bill. Not everything on that list is applicable to our home, but here’s what we do that makes a difference:
- Ceiling fans
- Swamp cooler
- Ice packs (rarely ever needed)
- Seal drafts
- Keep blinds closed
- Cook outside
- Plants and trees to shade house
- Wood mulch instead of rock mulch (which collects heat)
- Solar screens (huge help!! we take them down in the winter)
- Thermostat timers
- Closing some AC vents
- Cold showers
- As little clothing as possible
- Acclimate to higher temps
- Unbearable afternoons spent at the library
ETA: Hubby thought of some more things we do:
- lighter or no blankets on the bed
- sleeping nekked (only he gets to do this)
- using the clothesline (we do it regardless but it reduces the heat)
- cold drinks and foods
- physical activities in the AM, lazy in the afternoon
I’ve found a few drafts under our doors that I need to insulate or seal somehow. We’ve never gotten around to installing an attic fan. I’ve also been looking into a Time-of-Use service with our power company (you pay less for energy used during off hours than during peak hours) but I haven’t made the leap yet.
The garden has greatly decreased our micro-climate’s average temperature. Our house use to run a bit higher but is now averaging lower than the city-wide average. Of course, once you’ve hit 105, it’s all the same anyway.
How do you navigate the summer heat? Can you add any tips to the list?
I had a/c my whole life until we bought this house 3 years ago. The first year was hell, but now I find myself disliking ac when I go into it. I have acclimated now.
It’s remarkable to me how small the internet and blogging makes our world and yet we live in very different climates! 110F is 43C. The weather has been averaging about 12C (54F) here! It looks like it might go as high as 21C (70F) this week!
I hope you don’t melt!
I’m a fan of the frozen bandanna and clothing that covers without touching (flow-y things like dresses that hang away from the body from the chest down). If you have a basement stick a fan at the bottom of the stairs facing up and used the cool air from there, it uses a lot less power than air conditioning. Back when we lived in Denver where the summers hovered in the 100’s I found that getting out and early and enjoying the early morning before the heat and then hiding from the mid-day sun helped psychologically.
We’re feeling it here, too. Highest was 108 this week, though. I’m afraid I don’t enjoy the indoors at more than 80 degrees when it’s that hot out. Probably because it’s more than that near the windows. We’ve got plans to replace them, but it’s not happenin’ yet.
I follow many of the tips that you’ve suggested. I also keep an eye on the breeze, if there happens to be one, and adjust the windows for cross breezes when possible.
I find myself taking a few quick, cool showers on the warm days, most especially before bed. We also use the computers, even laptops, less as well as reminding my husband to turn the PS3 OFF!
I totally agree with getting things done early in the day and then resting during the afternoon. We’ve also recently become a fan of evening walks.
I’ve found that in addition to keeping the blinds closed, hanging up some long, outdoor shades on the porch keeps the afternoon sun from creating a giant heat sink out of our cement patio. You wouldn’t believe how much heat that thing radiates in the evening. (Is that what you mean by solar screens?)
Also, I get up extra early, like 5 and open up the house to get in as much cool morning air as possible, then I close everything up when outside temps equal the inside ones.
Wendy, solar screens go on the window like a regular screen would but they allow in much less light and you can’t even see thru them from the outside (unless it’s night). But what you’re talking about probably works the same.
Jodi, the cross breeze is a great idea!
Around here we open up all the windows once it’s cooler outside than it is on the inside (we have no a/c) and we turn on the fans to get the air circulating. If it had been a particularly hot day (like this weekend), we leave ‘em open all night long, and close them in the morning. It’s kind of an obvious one.
I am so excited to find your blog. We live in North Las Vegas and I would love to know what you can get to grow in your garden. We have a VERY small “garden” but have had great success with yellow pear tomatoes and jalapenos. So much so that we did not replant either this year they just came back. Actually in the case of the tomato we had pulled it out by the roots and it still came back. We also homeschool and I am very interested in urban homesteading.
We live in a much milder climate in Oregon, but to keep our house cool we open all the windows at night and keep the blinds closed during the day, as well as avoiding cooking with the oven. During a recent heat wave the local news recommended eating smaller meals and avoiding meals with lots of protein…the food you eat does make a difference. I like to drink ice cold lemonade when it’s hot.