Human beings existed without air conditioning for thousands of years before its invention in 1902. But when the mercury climbs, surviving without it seems inconceivable. Why turn it off?
Air conditioners send your electricity bill climbing. With maintenance and repair, the cost of using that AC goes up further. Resist the temptation to run it continuously and your bank account will thank you.
So do you have to swelter? The human body can only tolerate so much heat before going haywire. Exposure to high temperatures causes heat illnesses like heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke requires emergency medical attention and, if left untreated, can result in death.
Here are five ways you can keep cool without running your air conditioning (like the olden days), or if you’re faced with a broken-down unit in the middle of a heat wave.
Turn on a fan. Air movement dries sweat and cools the body. If all you’re moving is hot air, then place a bowl of cold water or ice in front of the fan. It will absorb heat when evaporating and cool the air being blown.
Leave windows open at night to cool your house then close them during the day to keep hot air out. Close your blinds when the sun is out. You don’t want to undo your efforts by letting the sun warm the interior air.
Run exhaust fans to draw out hot air from your stove and washrooms. This will also remove moisture from your home that would otherwise make you feel hotter and prevent your body from cooling down.
Plant trees on your property outside the windows that receive the most sunlight during the hottest part of the day. In addition to blocking the sun’s rays, trees lower the temperature through transpiration (evaporating water through plant leaves). This also helps reduce the amount of cooling your AC has to do.
Open windows on opposite ends of your house to encourage air flow. This works best if the air inside your house hotter than outside. Opening windows on one side of the room is not as effective because it doesn’t allow free motion of air. If you must, use a fan to remove hot air from the room, or to pull in cooler air from outside.
If, after your best efforts to cool down, you’re still baking, then turn on your AC. Upgrading to a more efficient unit will keep your running costs down.
If you’ve gotten this far without one, it doesn’t mean you have to keep suffering. Give HVAC Industries a call today.
