How might you and your family stay cool inside, aside from – or in addition to – making the most of your home air-conditioning?
Here are some hints:
Use the bathroom exhaust fan
Whenever you take a shower — even if you aren’t running your shower very warm — you are building up a lot of hot air. Let that exhaust fan get rid of that hot, wet steam.
Avoid using the stove
Opt for the microwave, or grill outside. Enjoy the summer delight of chilled salads and cold-cut sandwiches. If you do have to use your stove, turn on that exhaust fan over the stove right after you cook.
Hang a clothesline
That hot dryer is not doing you any favors. Use solar energy the old-fashioned way to dry off those freshly-washed clothes – hang them out on a line. It will take longer, but the sun-dried clothes will smell amazing, and you will save more on your energy bills as a bonus.
Get to know your basement
Heat rises, so you should do the opposite. Do not open the basement windows. Just enjoy that cooled-off underground air. Remember how Mammoth Cave is always about 54 degrees Fahrenheit? That sounds nice, right?
Check for leaks
Look all over. Check where your foundation meets your siding or brickwork. Look at all windows and doors, of course. Even better, have a pro do a full energy audit of your home.
Change your fan speed
On very humid days, set your AC’s fan speed to low. Ordinarily, you’d have it on high. But switch it to low when we hit that 99% humidity. That slower fan speed takes more moisture out of the air, and lets your AC essentially double as a dehumidifier.