What's the best way to cool a house?

Question

My house has no insulation no A/C and it's over 105 outside, so my house has become a hotbox. I have tried a few thing, and can't seem to get it right. I have a fan and ceiling fans. We've been putting the fan in front of an open door in the hopes it will pull out the hot air during the day and pull in the cool air at night, obviously turning the fan the appropriate direction.

Anyhow, any advice, besides buying a swamp cooler (too humid here anyhow) or getting A/C would be great.

I love it when people are ignorant. I don't have A/C and can't get it, stupid people...

Getting A/C or a window A/C unit isn't gonna happen, especially since PGE in our area is at stage 2 alert and many don't have power because of the over use of A/C and things that use too much power.

forgot to mention, i've got 6 kids, so I'm trying to keep them cool too.

Answer 1

Something that we do here at Fort Carson, CO we leave the ceiling fans on all the time along with opening all the windows in the house at night and then shut them when my hubby gets up for work at 5:45 am. (military) or when I got up at like 7 or 8 am. After that shut the windows and keep the ceiling fans on high and try not to open the doors alot. Get in and shut that darn door :-P. Well I guess that's all I can say or you can just get an A/C for your window! I hope that this works out for ya!

Answer 2

wow you got almost over 50 answeres. i really dont think youd read mine, since you have so many answers.

i totally feel your pain. when i was in europe during the summer they had noooo a/c. they would keep the balcony door open and on the other side of the house, they would keep a window open and that causes some breeze.

how big is your house? is it a 2 story? how many windows and doors do you keep open?

well, you could cover your windows ( while they are opened ) with draps. but dont use any draps that are dark colored. since the sun will attract to that dark color and make it even hotter. if you have no draps, then bed sheets would do just fine.

try to keep your front door open and then on the opposite side of the house keep another door open. what im trying to say here is that this way you will create a breeze in the house. unlike opening all the windows, that will only cause headachs and ear infections. so keep it simple.

im sure you knew this already, but dont you think its not that great to keep 6 kids in the house while all the windows and doors are opened. i totally understand that you can have the a/c. but if you do leave all the windows open, like i said again, this could cause you and your kids headachs and ear infections or even eye infections due to the wind that circulates through the house too much. it may feel great becus of the breeze but it sure can cause a lot of headachs and ear infections.

but im sure youv got everything under control, being that your a mother. so i wish you all the best and i really do hope that you can get some breeze going on in that house.

if nothing works, then have all 6 kids fan you while your sitting and watching tv. hahahaha. im just kidding.

Answer 3

What to do ! Well......... you open the back door or a window in the BACK of your shack, place a fan in the door or window (in the out position) blowing air outward. Next open the door or window in the front of the for-said shack, place a running fan in the open door or window, (in the inward position) blowing air inward. Close ALL windows and openings on the sides of the house, stuff newspaper in all open cracks. in fact close all openings except the two that the running fans are in, this will serve to keep your cool air in the house longer. Hope you and the kiddies stay cool.

Oh......, and keep the windows the sun shines through, covered with something that will keep the suns rays OUT. Heavy cur tons or even cardboard behind the curtains will do the trick. If you are worried about how it will look, let some of the kids draw pictures on the outside facing side of the cardboard and print "I'm Staying Cool" in big bright colored letters on it.

Another suggestion; Put the fan that is drawing the air inward in the shadiest end of the house, the end with the LEAST sunshine, that is where the air will be the coolest. Obviously put the outward blowing fan in the opposite end of the house.

Answer 4

When I was in college, our dorm room was a tiny, stifling hotbox. :( We had two windows. We would prop one fan in one window, blowing out, and the other fan in the other window, blowing in. It created a nice air current that circulated the air, so even if the air was hot, we didn't suffocate. We also left the door to our room open whenever we could. If you don't have AC, and can't get it, see about getting a dehumidifier? Or the "portable AC units"? I don't know if it's a matter of money that keeps you from getting an AC, or if you are not allowed to install one by your landlord or what. But, if you can't get either of those appliances, your only bet is strategically positioned fans. :( Be creative... we had to use bungee cords to attach box fans to book cases, suspended in the air... just do what you have to do. If it's about keeping yourselves cool, and not just the house, ice, lots of ice. Buy ice packs at Wal-mart or something and keep them cooled and rotated at all times. They also have these hanky things in the sporting goods department, not sure what they are called, but you wear them around your forehead or around your neck, it's got some herbs in it. You freeze it, and wear it on your neck. It keeps you cool for hours. If you have kids, get them one of those little kiddie pools, and let them go out there in shifts. Don't allow them to stay out too long. Make sure they drink plenty of water, the more hydrated your body is, the less hot you will feel. If you can't do the pool thing, take turns filling up the bathtub with cold water, and letting them play in it. (Bathing suits or naked). When I was a kid in the 80s my parents couldn't afford AC, and that's what we did.

Answer 5

Our a/c went out, so what we did was put dark sheets on the inside of your windows to block the light and white sheets on the outside of the windows to reflect the sunlight. Watering your roof a few times a day, or putting a soaker hose up there helps a lot too. Obviously, don't turn on the oven, toaster, or any other appliance that creates heat, and excepting the fans to pull out the hot air, keep all the fans off unless someone is in the room. They move the air around, heating it up slightly, but if someone is in the room it cools off the temperature of their skin. Keep as few lights as possible on, and if none of that helps, try and spend as much time as possible out of the house, like, possibly take the kids to the mall for a day, or go swimming.

Answer 6

Oh dear! We JUST had a heat wave....and it was horrible! Get spray bottles, such as at the dollar store or used and cleaned like from Windex..and then pass them out to each child.....keep filled with water and spray yourself to keep yourself somewhat cool in this weather. I loved in Arizona and it one day hit 122 degrees! The spray bottle was the ONLY way until our air could be tended to....I have many children /siblings in my family, and some were into affected by the heat as I was........
And this will sound bizarre..however it works! Get into the shower with a t-shirt and shorts or bathing suit bottoms on..and keep the clothing on while you are front f the fan! I had to recently take 8 sho\wers in one day....even the light bulbs were hot!
Anything that generates heat will affect you. Lastly;y, know how they say that for children in school...this does include us, to keep the heat in by a hat as it comes up from the head, so wear a hat? Turn that around and shower leaving the hair WET...ALSO the Nape of the neck to be constantly cooled off..again the spray bottle, or a cloth with an ice bucket beside you to REALLY comfort you.I REALLY Know these things work..and I wish you the best.
I do not know where y live , but if yu have an ALDI'S around you thgey are selling for $85.00..and tho small window units, fix th4e entire problem..it is sooooooooooo hard to do anything in that kind of heat. Wishing you all the best!
BTW The window unit I recommended is so small...BUT does the job..and yur family needs that or one of you or more could get very ill......(as a Mom)

Answer 7

I suggest only having fans on the cool sides of the house. My room gets very heated during the summer because it faces West. I have blinds that reflect the heat away from the window. Also, try to push the cooler air upstairs because it will be more comfortable at night.

At night, open ALL windows, get fans in them and blow in as much cool air as possible. Try to blow out the hot air during the evening and pull in cooler air at night.

In the morning repeat. Put fans on the cool sides of the house and move them when needed. Do not put them on the warm sides of the house.

Answer 8

Yes, some people are ignorant. Put up blinds on the south and west windows. Keep the windows open at night, when it is cool, and closed during the warmest part of the day. It will take awhile, but planting large growing, deciduous trees on the south and west sides of the house. If you have double hung window, open the top about two to three inches and the bottoms the same. This will cause a natural circulation.

Answer 9

Try keeping all the blinds/drapes closed during the day blocking the sunshine. Only open the windows and doors after the sun has set in the evening and pull the cool air from outside with some box fans. We only have AC in our upstairs bedrooms and keep the rest of the house cool in this manner. It really works.

Answer 10

You seem to have a good start with the fans and all. Keep your curtains closed when the sun is out to help keep it cooler in your home. Only use the oven in the late evening hrs to early morning hrs if you can. Other than that I don't know what to tell you. Also you may wanna try putting up black plastic on the windows inside ( top half only to allow air to come thru still)- looks funky but it will keep out the hot sun.

Answer 11

Here's something that might help bring the temp of your house down 15 degrees or so. When the sun goes down, take a water hose and spray down the roof and sides of the house until the brick/wood and roof shingles are very wet. We do this EVERY night and notice a dramatic difference in the inside temp. We have air conditioning but with temps at or over 105 it barely does anything at all.

My father taught me this trick back in 1980 when Texas had a heat wave that - believe it or not - was worse than this one ( 112 - 115 for oever 30 days ). I never forgot it, and I truly feel for your situation with no air. I honestly ddon't know how you survive it!