Comments on: Keeping Cool This Summer

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:27:43 +0000

I try to keep my house dark by keeping the curtains closed at all times and by turning off the lights, but my wife insists of turning on every light in the house.

Even though it looks a little trashy, putting aluminum foil on the windows of the rooms that get the hottest does reduce temps by quite a bit. It doesn’t hurt to put reflective tint on the rest of the windows too.

Scott

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:19:04 +0000

For health reasons we run the A/C when needed for me and as my hubby is self employed we run the A/C so he can do his physical labor job without passing out. That being said, it has been so cool this summer we didn’t have to start regularly running the A/C till a couple of weeks ago and it has already impacted the electric bill. We do all the suggestions already. My only comfort is that because we run a home business, part of our utilities are written off our taxes as business expenses.

By: Paula

Paula — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:52:22 +0000

Andrea, we do indeed have a lot of humidity here, or I would probably never have gotten an AC (in fact today was 88 degrees and HUMID)! Along the coast, you get that nice ocean breeze that helps but we are just far enough inland (about 15 miles west) that it doesn’t.

As for our winters, yes they can be brutal with lots of snow and freezing temps, although usually the worst of that is January thru March. We have the usual Maine jokes about the rest of the country putting coats on when it gets around 50, but Mainers are wearing shorts and T-shirts outside! LOL.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:34:19 +0000

I will go without AC for as long as I can stand it, which is far longer than most of my friends. I turn off lights, draw blinds (no curtains), and run fans. What gets me, though, is the humidity. Summers here are unbearably humid, and after a few days of it I not only have a constant headache, but my possessions are starting to mould or mildew. So I installed *good* insulation in the attic, and I gave up and run the AC. I keep it at a relatively cool 78 at night, and let the house get to the mid eighties during the day. Without AC, the house can easily hit 100, and in the room where I am doing glasswork, or in my kitchen, temps can be over 110.

One nice thing about Georgia, though … sometime in the early fall the humidity goes away, and then we have a series of pleasant (mid eighties) days and cool (60s) nights, perfect for open windows! Much though I love Texas, the cool weather doesn’t arrive until the middle to the end of October. I used to enjoy the looks on the faces of recent students from the north who had packed their woolies for September, while the rest of us were in cutoffs and flipflops

@Paula: As someone who now lives in Georgia and grew up in Texas, I am laughing quietly about the idea that temperatures in the 80s count as hot — unless you have high humidity, as we do in Georgia, in which case I sympathize! Of course, you get to laugh about me thinking that “seriously cold” starts at freezing, and that anything below 20 is cause for a statewide emergency.

By: David G. Mitchell

David G. Mitchell — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:59:53 +0000

Here is a timely interview with Clarence Otis, CEO of Darden Restaurant Group. The interview is in USA Today but I link to Scott Joseph’s commentary on his blog because it provides excellent context. The interview is accessible via a link that Scott provides.

http://www.scottjosephorlando.com/news/78-scotts-news/497-dardens-clarence-otis-has-advice-for-weathering-the-economic-storm

By: Robin

Robin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:41:25 +0000

If it’s a breezy day, we open up the windows. It keeps the place cool and lets nice fresh air in. Also, I usually only turn up the air at night because I sweat very easily.

By: persephone

persephone — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:49:06 +0000

On hot days, I try to take care of all of the errands that I have to run. If I have to shop, I like to do it on days that are too hot for anything outside and the grocery store and the mall, and my car, all have wonderful air conditioning.

By: spicoli

spicoli — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:47:09 +0000

On hot summer days, I like to go to the movies. It’s a great way to cool off and to enjoy a film at the same time without having to crank up my own AC!

By: cptacek

cptacek — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:07:35 +0000

Adding on a small porch or putting up awnings are also a good idea. The south side of our house has a car port half the length of the house that is converted into a porch, and it blocks much of the sun from hitting the house. But when the sun reaches the point in the sky where it is hitting the west side of the house, the AC immediately starts running more. I have found that if I close the doors to the rooms on the west side of the house, the AC doesn’t run as much and it is much more comfortable.

My plan is to either find some awnings or put up a small overhang on the west side with 4×8 sheets of plywood and shingles, or tin, to shade the windows. That should make a world of difference.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:08:27 +0000

I’m more like Ann. I run the a/c in the summer as cool as I want to and make up the money in the winter months. I don’t go crazy, it’s rarely lower than 72 but that is more about not working it so hard it quits on me when it’s super hot and humid outside. I also do all of those things – pull the shades, avoid using the oven in the middle of the day, etc. Hate the heat, love the a/c.