Five Ways to Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning

Yesterday we talked about Five things to cook when it's too hot to cook. Since we are still experiencing a heat wave here in Ontairo, I thought I would come up with 5 ways to keep cool without air conditioning. Going without air is becomming more popular. Air conditioning is not only expensive to run, but it puts a tremendous strain on the electrical grid on hot days. Remember the blackout in Ontario and New York state of a few years ago.

1. Keep your drapes and windows closed on the hot side of the house. Don't let the sun beat in during the real hot weather. Use heavy drapes or blinds to keep the heat out. On windows that are shaded wear a cool breeze is comming in leave the windows open. Remember to open the windows for about an hour in the cool morning to cool the house down, but after that close the windows and drapes on the hot side. Even if you have central air this will be a big help in keeping the house cool

2. If you have a furnace you can set it to fan only. This will circulate the air from the cooler basement to the hotter rooms above.

3 Move to the basement. Many people have an extra bedroom downstairs. Why not use it during the hot weather. It will be like being on vacation.

4 Don't cook inside. Don't make anything that requires you to turn on the oven. Instead use the bbq, crock pot or rely on salads and foods that are served cold (see yesterdays post on cooking for hot weather) . If you must boil water for a pasta or tuna salad, try to do it early in the morning when it's cooler or better yet use the side burner on your bbq.

5. This is kind of a long term proposition, but often overlooked. If you own your home (or have an generous landlord), plant trees on the hot side of your house so that they will grow and shade your house. Ever notice that older houses with mature trees are always so much cooler without air. It's because of the shade effect from the mature trees. Plant the kind that the leaves fall off of in the winter so that the effect is reversed in the cooler months.

So there you are. Five ways to exisit without air conditioning. I'm sure there are many more. If you have any to share, please leave a comment. The hot weather has only just begun