4 Ways to Beat the Summer Heat, No A/C Required

15 by Becky Striepe on May 6, 2011

thermostat

Heating and cooling make up over half of your home energy use, so taking steps to ensure that you don't have to crank the air conditioning this summer helps the planet while saving you some cash at the same time.

I know, I know, spring just sprung in April and we're already talking about summer? Here in Atlanta, we're already seeing some pretty steamy temperatures, and when my husband and I were in Orlando for Easter, they were already experiencing highs in the 90s. Yikes! Even if it's not sweltering where you are yet, now's the time to get planning if you want to keep your hands off of that thermostat when the weather heats up.

Close the Blinds

Keeping sunlight out of the house during the day helps keep things cool inside. Just like with a greenhouse, the sun's heat gets trapped in your house, heating things up. What sort of blinds do you have on your windows? If they're the sort that let sunlight in even when they're closed, you might want to consider heavier curtains to supplement.

Plant a Tree

Trees are superstars at improving air quality, but did you know that trees can also help keep you home cool? Try planting deciduous trees near south, east, and west-facing windows. They'll shade your home from the summer sun, and in winter the leaves will fall to let that sunlight give you a little heating boost.

Use Your Ceiling Fan

Make sure fans are set to run counter clockwise, to circulate the air. Modern fans have a switch on the side to toggle which direction they rotate, so you just need to get up on a ladder to make the switch.

A note about switching your fans: you probably will want to dust those fan blades before changing their direction. When my husband and I switched our fans last weekend, it rained dust on our bed. Though, maybe you guys are better housekeepers than we have been lately!

Try a Table Fan

A table fan in front of a bowl of ice water works as sort of a DIY space cooler. This is a great way to cool just the space you're using, rather than switching on that central air to cool the whole house.

Do you guys have any other tips for cooling the house in the summer? Let's share ideas in the comments!

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by mendhak

http://www.cricketfundas.com BV Swagath

In India we use vetiver grass to cool the houses. Even we drink vetiver drink to cool ourselves in the hot summers.

Becky Striepe

Interesting! I did a little googling, and I’m seeing that it’s used to fight erosion. How do you use it to cool the house? Is it planted in a green roof or wall, or are you using it some other way?

http://www.cricketfundas.com BV Swagath

We buy ready made vetiver root curtains and they will be inserted in the place of regular curtains in the summer. Then water is sprinkled on them every morning and as a result we get cool and aromatic air.

I sometimes use table fan beside that curtain.
Kr suresh

@BV Swagat:-What is vetiver grass?n where do i find it in natural state?what’s the hindi term for it?
http://www.telugucinemastills.com GVK

in Hindi it is called as Khus Khus.
http://nanasgarden.weebly.com Tara Woodruff

Green wall! Grow vine vegetables or flowers on a mesh trellis to block heat. Awesome way to grow food too! ( I have information on my website for it

Becky Striepe

Ooh good one! I love the idea of growing food and beating cooling costs at the same time. Double win!

Vera Pa

hang the wet sheets by the windows. spray air with the cold water . wear at home as less clothes as u can- being topless makes you feel comfortable with 5 degrees higher temperature. drink iced water, suck ice cubes.
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I was thinking if you’d like to share your strategies on how to get that pr.Anyways wonderful read once again.Amazing info you got here.
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Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the

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WiseGuy

If you have a basement, cut a hole (that you can seal up for winter) in your cold air return for your furnace then use the blower to circulate the cool basement air thru the house. Save this for the afternoon or hottest parts of the day, with the other ways to save.
http://none marta

Hi,

I love the smell of vetiver and how wonderful a plant it is. Does anyone on here know where I can buy/order a vetiver curtain/sheet online or in the US? I live in virginia, it’s hot and humid and i have a little bit of vetiver from hawaii & brazil (my home) but I want a curtain like I hear and read about in India. Any help appreciated, I’ve been googling for a long time. (Also I am in NYC for a week if you know a place here that sells it!) Thank you!
Catherine

Hi! I bought a round house a little less than a year ago. I live in Maryland and this past summer was brutal with heat days in excess of 100 degrees. We managed to turn on the a/c less than for 4 of those days doing most of what you suggested. It works!!
Next spring I’ll be painting my roof (it’s a black tar domed roof, no attic space, the radiant heat in the house is phenomenal!!) Painting the roof white or silver reduces the radiant heat by 50 degrees on the surface which translates into a HUGE difference for the heat in the house. Plus for every roof that is painted white it reduces the impact on our earth the equivalent of taking one car off the road for 11 years!!
Dani

We put a wet towel on the fan so that the air blows through the towel. We also put those mylar emergency blankets on the windows, I know it makes the house dark, but it is way cooler. Give it a try and see for yourself.
Rakshi Thambaiah

we keep a big pan full of cool water right under the ceiling fan. it helps to moist the air the fan blows.