God! It so hot here in our area!
I never thought the summer season can be this humid! Urgh! I feel like that I’m going to melt like an ice under the sun if this temperature will continue to rise.
Fortunately, I was able to discover some heat busting tips that can help cool my home during the hot summer.
Here's strategies for surviving a hot spell:
1. Smart Ways to Save on the AC
* Set the thermostat at 70° to 75°F when you're home, 80°F when you're not; don't turn it off completely before leaving the house (it can cost more to cool the house back down once it overheats).
* Position electric devices like lamps, TVs, or computers at least a few feet away from your AC thermostat. Reason: The AC can sense heat from these appliances, which can cause it to run longer than necessary.
* Place room units on the north side of the house when possible. An AC unit operating in the shade uses up to 10% less electricity than one in the sun. Long-term fix: Plant trees to shade your windows and save as much as 25% of the energy a typical home uses.
* Know when to upgrade. In terms of energy use, you may want to consider a new AC if yours is more than 10 years old (window unit) or 12 years old (central air) — and definitely if it's not cooling as well as it used to — to shave up to 30% off your bill.
2. Manage Moisture
An estimated 50% of U.S. homes have unhealthily high levels of moisture. What to do when "it's not the heat, it's the humidity":
* Move indoor plants outside — they produce a lot of airborne moisture.
* Invest in a dehumidifier. The 70-pint Frigidaire ($193; amazon.com) zapped humidity best in GHRI tests.
* Run bathroom exhaust fans for a full 20 minutes after a shower or bath to "dry" the air.
* The ultimate chill-out: Get wet. A cool bath or shower with water around 75°F (lukewarm) will chill you out 25 times faster than a blast of cold air
3. Remember: Heat Rises
Attics can reach temps of 150°F. Take measures to properly insulate this area from the rest of the house: Install sweeps and weather-stripping around the door (about $10 and $8 for a roll, respectively, at hardware stores). For a hatch-style entrance, invest in a stair-insulator cover like the Attic Tent ($200 to $240; attictent.com) to seal it.
4. Harness the Heat
Hot weather isn't all bad for your electric bill
* Line-dry clothes outdoors — there's nothing like that fresh smell! — and skip the dryer (the costliest part of doing laundry).
* Hang towels that are soggy from a day at the beach or pool to dry in the sun over a line, a railing, or the back of a chair. Bonus, if towels will be used again before laundering: Solar rays can kill some smell-causing bacteria.
* Create a Breeze With the air circulating, you'll feel like a room's temp has dropped up to 8°F
* Use a portable fan in conjunction with your AC to move air without greatly increasing your power use (it'll even save money, because you can comfortably set the thermostat a few degrees higher). No AC? Fake it by putting a dish of ice water in front of the fan.
* Be smart about ceiling fans Since they don't actually cool — you need to be in their path to get the benefits — turn off all fans when you're heading out to avoid wasting energy. If you're buying a new ceiling fan, make sure it's sized right for your room (the fan's box should list its specs).
* Open opposing windows on nights when the outside temp is at least 3°F cooler than inside. Window fans (one that pulls air into the room another that blows air out) can boost airflow. Umbra's Halo Floating Magnetic Tieback Rings ($14 for two; umbra.com) make drawing the drapes a literal cinch.
Oh well, I really hope I could try some of this tomorrow ( and hope you too! ). Anyways, I need to go now and tell my sister about these tips as well. Ciao! :)
