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Summer gets hot. San Diego air conditioning bills soar in the summer, especially during those irregular heat waves, but as everyone knows, air conditioning is not cheap. Keeping the air conditioning on for even a few hours can put a big dent in your wallet.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had any professional air conditioning repairs, turning on your air conditioning system could actually be bad for your health, causing certain respiratory problems and contaminating indoor air. While nothing can really replace the cooling effects of air conditioning services, you might consider these effective alternatives the next time your home heats up.
An Open Window
You would be surprised how effective an open window can be. That will probably be your first mode of action before turning to your air conditioner. In some cases, it’s enough to thwart the heat, especially if you catch a breeze. If opening one window is not enough, open several. Try to create a through-breeze that travels into your home and allows hot air to travel out.
The time of day you open your window may also play a factor. Chances are your home will be super hot during the day and cool down at night. Open your windows at night to let in the cool air and close them during the day to trap that cool air.
Spray a bed sheet with cold water and use it to cover a window’s opening. The cool, damp sheet will cool the breeze as it passes through, bringing chilled air into your home. The sheet will also shade any sunlight from outside, keeping the temperature down even more.
Fan Power
Fans can be a big help in staying cool and are incredibly cheap. Place one fan facing in by a window and another fan pointing out at an opposite window. This will cause a nice “wind tunnel” effect and help that through breeze make its way through your house. Your ceiling fans can also help with this process.
Of course, fans can be pretty useless if your home is filled with hot air. All you’re doing is essentially blowing that hot air around. To create a simple, makeshift air conditioning system, fill a shallow bowl with ice cubes and place it in front of the fan. As the ice evaporates, the fan will blow the cool air through your home.
Ice and Other Things
A tried and true method of staying cool is wetting your wrists and other pulse points with a bit of cold water. Keep those spots cool by holding and ice cube wrapped in a small towel or face cloth against them. This gives immediate relief and can cool down the entire body for up to an hour.
Avoid generating lots of heat. On super hot days, don’t run the dry cycle on your dishwasher and try air drying your clothes instead of using the dryer. Turn off computers, TVs, and other electronics when they’re not in use as they can generate a lot of heat when left on. Standing over a hot stove will also substantially increase your temperature and your home’s… try a cold sandwich instead (with some ice cream for dessert!).
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