It’s been a cool June so far this year, which is fine with me since I’m still transplanting in the gardens. My Floridian husband, however, is still waiting to warm up. He likes it in the 90s, which means he’s only really happy for two or three weeks of the year, living where we do.
The cooler start to summer gives us all some time to think about avoiding the energy drain when the hot weather does get here. There are lots of ways to keep cool besides just blasting the air conditioner, and taking advantage of them will save both energy and money.
We don’t have an air conditioner, but our house is small and we generally just keep all the windows open, except for the one the dogs jump out of.
Still, a few times a year it does get unbearably stuffy, even for the Floridian. And one year, when the kids and I were red-faced and gasping, my husband decided to buy a new fan.
Not just any fan. He purchased the largest stand-up fan he could find at the farm supply store, the kind that is actually used for cow barns, not houses. It’s as loud as a train, and has three speeds, which we have dubbed: Gale Force, Category Five Hurricane, and End of the World.
On those few days in the summer when we really need to get the hot air out, we turn it on. It’s very exciting. Our son starts yelling “End of the World! Turn it on to End of the World!” and he leaps and jumps around the house. Any loose piece of paper starts flying around. The dogs start barking. Our daughter starts complaining about the noise.
But after about 10 minutes, we can turn it off again and it’s noticeably cooler inside. And quiet.
I’m not recommending a cow barn fan for most houses, although it is a nice conversation piece, if you can hear a conversation over the roar.
But normal household fans — ceiling fans, windows fans and regular stand-up fans — can do most of the cooling on milder summer days. Reversible window fans can pull hot air out of the house, and if you set up your fans between open windows, you get a good cross breeze. Moving air feels cooler than still air, so even on a warmer day, fans will help you feel cooler.
And fans can help you take advantage of the nighttime temperature drop. If you run your fans at night and in the early morning, you can move cooler air into the house. A guy down the road used to close all the windows and open the door to the basement, then run the attic fan to pull cool basement air into the house.
Keeping heat out of the house means your cooling system has less work to do. During the heat of day, close your shades and curtains on the sunny side of the house. Awnings and shade trees on the south side of the house do the same.
And think about eliminating activities that cause heat. Cook outdoors. Use the clothesline instead of the dryer. Bake only at night. Put a lid on your pot when you’re boiling water. And use the smallest appliance you can (toaster oven, microwave) to do the job at hand.
These are rules that apply year-round to reduce energy use. But they’re even more important in the summer because they also reduce heat buildup in the home.
If you use an air conditioner, there are some simple steps to keeping your energy usage down. Change your filter monthly to keep the unit running efficiently, and make sure window seals don’t leak. Window units work best on the shadier side of the house, and make sure they’re not obstructed, inside or outside.
Set the thermostat as high as you can and still be comfortable. Hey, it’s summer. It’s OK if it’s 78 in the house. On humid days, lower the fan speed to get more moisture out of the air. Keep the doors and windows closed when the air conditioner is running. And using a fan along with the air conditioner can help move the cool air around.
It doesn’t have to be a barn fan.
Margaret Hartley is the Gazette’s Sunday and features editor. Greenpoint appears in the Gazette’s print edition Sundays on the Environment page.
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