Air Conditioning? Last Resort

As the spring gets warmer, some of you are already starting to tune up your air conditioners. But before you start paying those monster power bills, there are some things you can do to delay the nuclear option and the expenses.

Last post we talked about bushes against the south side of the house, shade trees as a long-range strategy, and window coverings to keep the sun out. There are some other things you can do, depending upon your climate and your house.

Fans are great, if you can live with the noise. I grew up in a house in Florida cooled only by a huge fan in the attic. Whole-house fan technology has improved, noise going down and airflow going up. As long as you have an attic, you can simply slide the fan assembly over the hatch for the summer, and move it aside and close up for the winter.

Ceiling fans only mix up the air in a room or space, but that can often be the difference between comfort and perspiration. You need ceilings that are high enough (eight feet is acceptable), and a ceiling light fixture to replace, protected by a wall switch. Or you can hire a licensed electrician and install one just about anywhere. The better ceiling fans are controlled by remotes, so you don't need fancy multi-conductor wiring between fan and switch. And even at high speed, they can be very quiet. Here's a chart of the quietest.

Table-top and box fans are noisier and take up space in your home, but they can still work that magic that fans do by moving air over your skin and evaporating moisture, cooling you out of all proportion to actual room temperature. Set one up to blow right at you, or in a circular motion around the room if that's more comfortable.

Any unnecessary source of heat or humidity in your home should be identified and remedied if possible: dryer vents should be routed outside, baking should be done at night, bath vent fans should be run during and after showers until the air is clear and dry, and microwaves are a lower energy alternative to conventional cooking if you choose your menu carefully. Avoid using halogen lights like torchieres and track-mounted spots. Less heat released in the house, more comfort for you.

The difference between running some fans, not using hot light, drying clothes at night, and running a central or window air conditioner is partly money, but it's mostly paying attention, making small moves that add up, and deciding to tough it out a little before giving in to that "High Cool" button.