Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Keeping Your Apartment Cool in the Summer Time?

Posted by Cliff on from the keeping-your-air-temp-in-the-comfort-zone dept.

uvince asks: "Sure, the air is on all day at work, but when you are at home and it warms up (as the west coast is now) what do you do when a fan just won't cut it? Do you install a swamp cooler, set out a standing air conditioner, or install some air conditioner that fits in the window. How can I keep my apartment, or at least my bedroom cool? Anyone have any creative, green ideas?"

3 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. I'm purchasing the Kenmore 15,100 BTU by danpbrowning · · Score: 3, Informative

    We're purchasing the Kenmore 15,100 BTU Room Air Conditioner for $380. This is why I like it:

    * Highest BTU A/C that runs on 115 volts
    * Isn't a no-name brand
    * Is cheap.

    I researched a *lot* of a/c's and that's what I came up with.

    (If anyone else has found a better one, let me know!)

    --
    Daniel
  2. Before you switch on the air conditioner... by Amit+J.+Patel · · Score: 5, Informative
    Things I do to keep cool:
    1. Use the mass of the house to "store cold".

      Keep the windows open at night. Let it get really cold throughout the house (except maybe the bedroom). Close the windows and blinds in the morning. Having tight seals on doors and windows helps here.

    2. Set up efficient air flow.

      In the evening, use fans to bring in cooler air from outside. (This depends on where you live. In the San Francisco area, it gets down into the 50s and 60s in the evening.)

      Put the fans in the windows. Block off as much of the window as you can except the area where the fan goes. Ideally, you can find box fans that fit precisely in the window.

      Important: point the fans OUT. Open a window on the other side of the house where air will come in. Pointing fans out is more efficient at moving air than pointing them in. Although pointing them in feels better, it doesn't do as good a job at actually bringing in cool air from outside.

      Don't use interior fans except when you are in the room.

    3. Use the multiple rooms of your home at different times of day.

      At night, I cool down the non-bedroom areas. During the evening, those areas are most comfortable, so I stay there. But I'm also cooling down the bedroom so that by the time I go to bed, the bedroom is comfortable.

    4. -
    5. Amit
  3. drink hot beverages by falsification · · Score: 3, Informative
    Conversely, when you drink hot beverages your body cools down, because it is trying to balance out the temperature. When you drink cool beverages, your body will heat up, because it has to expend energy to keep your body at 37 degrees. So drink hot beverages. Don't drink anything cold.

    And lose some weight. You'll sweat less.