How to Stay Cool With Less Air Conditioning

Be sure the ceiling fan is pushing air down during the summer.

In the summer, do you cringe at the thought of having to choose between outrageous electricity bills and living in a sweat box? Actually, you can make a few significant changes in your life that will ease your reliance on air conditioning, thereby decreasing your energy consumption during the summer. Try some of these tips for staying cool using less air conditioning.

Instructions

1. Install ceiling fans if you don't already have them. Ceiling fans use little electricity, but can make a room feel up to 10 degrees cooler. Plus, when compared, a 2.5 ton central air conditioner uses 3,500 watt-hours in just one hour of operation, whereas a ceiling fan uses just 75 watt-hours, the same as a 19-inch television. Make sure the ceiling fan is pushing the air down and not sucking it up. Don't hit the directional switch while the fan is moving; it may cause damage to the motor. With most ceiling fans, the air is being blown down when the blades are rotating counter-clockwise.

2. Take a cool shower during the day. The cost of the water you will use pales in comparison to the cost of running the AC, and a refreshing shower can keep you feeling cool for a long time afterward.

3. If you love sleeping on a cool pillow or you sleep better when you're not sweating, there are a number of new products available to solve both situations. Purchasing a water-filled pillow is great for keeping your head chilled, and they are also highly recommended by chiropractors for those with neck pain. A bed fan operates right under the covers, at the side or foot of the bed, and gently blows cool air across your body all night long.

4. Install solar screens or reflective film on your windows. Thirty percent of a home's cooling requirements come directly from the sun's rays entering the home. Solar screens can block roughly 65 percent of the heat coming from these rays and reflective film can repel approximately 60 percent, while still allowing light to fill the room.

5. Replace your home's regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs. Traditional incandescent lights deliver 10 percent light and produce 90 percent heat, whereas CFLs deliver 90 percent light and only 10 percent heat.

References

• The Bedfan: The Bedfan Can Lower Your AC Bill and Electric Bill by Using Less Energy to Keep You Cool!