What are some good ways to stay cool without air conditioning or other energy hogs?

Answer 1

Heres what I do:
I open tops of windows, not bottoms, since hot air is higher. Nobody else I know does this, but nobody I know is a physics teacher. I completely seal my apartment from eye level down, to keep that precious cold air.
I use shades and drapes always to block sunlight, especially in the early morning and late afternoon when it would stream in the windows.
Keep my attic ventilated. In the middle of the day in the summer, the roof is getting most of the sun hitting the house. I run the attic fan on high.
Put water from cold faucet in bottles, keep them around the house. When they warm up, use them to water plants inside and out. All the energy they took to get warm, you have just removed from your dwelling. I did a cost analysis, and found that it is slightly cheaper to remove heat this way than it is to use my AC. It would take many tens of liters of water a day to work, though. The good thing is that the water is doing double duty.
If your dwelling is cooler than the outdoors, and you are ventilating the dwelling with outside air, blow air into the room you don't mind being warm, and out of the room you want to be cool. I know this seems counterintuitive, but the cooler inside air will collect in that last room, especially if you remembered my earlier point to open the tops of windows, not the bottoms.
Cook outside. Use a solar cooker.
I should drink more water. I should also build a solar ice-maker.

Answer 2

With the arrival of summer comes the battle for keeping cool. Keeping a house cool in the summer does not have to be expensive. Following a few simple tips will have you relaxing in a nice cool house.
*Open up windows in the cool morning hours. Place portable fans in the windows to circulate the cool air through the house.
*Install ceiling fans. They can make a room feel 4 degrees cooler.
*Close blinds and curtains. Keep the window coverings down when the sun shines directly on windows. This is especially important on west facing windows. White curtains and blinds will reflect the sun away from the house.
*Reduce heat-generating sources. Ovens, dishwashers, dryers, and other appliances generate a lot of heat. Try to use them in the morning or late evening. Try to cook outdoors rather than inside.
* A spray bottle filled with water while sitting in front of a fan, for a quick cool off!

Answer 3

Ceiling fans are good if you have them - be sure that you have open windows - a crossbreeze is very important for moving hot air out of the house.

Think about planting shade trees - they will cool your house in the summer, and in the winter you'll still find sunlight to warm the house.

Hit the beach/lake or swimming hall during the hottest portions of the day.

Answer 4

Close up the windows by about 9 am. Then open them up around 9pm to let the cool air in for the night.

I know awnings really help over window that face sunny areas. Shade trees around the house help too. Of course this stuff doesn't help if you rent.

Renters, take the afternoon off and find a nice swimming hole. Take the kids to the beach (remember sunscreen).

Answer 5

Try a water mist fan, A ceiling fan, A attic fan or whole house fan. The best you can do without AC is to get the outdoor/shade temp. Sun heats roof and hot air get trapped underneath it, get rid of it. Dehumidifier makes for more breathable air

Answer 6

In addition to all the great ideas already posted:

Go barefoot in the house.

Wear loose, light clothes

Do your energetic activities in the morning before it gets hot or in the evening after it cools down

If your bedroom is hot, sleep in the living room, especially if you get a good cross breeze there.

Shower in the afternoon or evening, instead of the morning, to cool down from the day

Drink lots of water and sprinkle some of it on you occasionally. Water evaporating off your skin makes you feel cooler.

Make an alcohol/water pack that you freeze during the day and take it to bed with you (I put mine under my pillow). Pets really like to have one of these during the day to lay on or near when it is hot.

Eat cool foods (salads, cold soups, sandwiches) that don't heat up your kitchen.

Learn to Solar cook your hot foods. (This is actually possible in some apartments...)

Walk in the shade instead of the sun.

Answer 7

Ceiling fans are great...one of the best investments you will ever make. My apartment has one in the living/dining room and one in the bedroom and I love them. They only cost pennies a day to run and if you open the windows and turn them on, it stays nice and cool.

You can also put bags of ice in front of a regular fan, so that the fan blows across the ice. We did this in the old apartment I had. We called it ghetto air conditioning lol.

Answer 8

Whole house fans are another alternative. Check out the link to an overview document from the Department of Energy.

Answer 9

Fans definitly! air conditioning takes up the energy. Or maybe go to the local pool or run through the sprinklers.

Answer 10

Go swimming
Keep the shades closed in the house to not let the hot sunlight in
Go shopping
Go to the Library
Wear tank tops, shorts and sandals with your hair up off your neck.
If you have a basement, hang out there. It's usually real cool in the basement!