Cooling the house

[MommaLura]

So, I need some ideas!! I live in a mobile home that is mostly in the sun in Florida. With the air running it's staying at 85 and we can't afford to have the a/c running constantly (it's already $230. I'm pregnant and getting headaches from the heat. So...what can we do to help keep the house cool?

Thanks a ton!!!

[BathrobeGoddess]

Originally Posted by MommaLura

So, I need some ideas!! I live in a mobile home that is mostly in the sun in Florida. With the air running it's staying at 85 and we can't afford to have the a/c running constantly (it's already $230. I'm pregnant and getting headaches from the heat. So...what can we do to help keep the house cool?

Thanks a ton!!!

Paint the top roof with reflective paint...

http://www.rubberized.com/roof1.html


(never used it myself but my grandfather invented it )

[chely7425]

You could put heavy shades on the windows to help keep the sun out, my friend has ones that are white on the side facing the window so they reflect more light. Then at night when it "cools" off (we live in Louisiana so I feel your pain on the heat/humidity) open all your windows and turn on a bunch of fans to get the house as cool as possible then close everything up first thing in the morning. I don't know how well it would work but it might help to not have to run the air as much. Also, avoid cooking with the oven as much as possible. The crock pot is good or since it is summer just eat more meals that don't need as much cooking!

[ShwarmaQueen]

Also shrubs/trees along the sides- even if they're not permanently placed- maybe just in big pots?

[tinybutterfly]

Ceiling fans are helpful. You set them to pull the cool air up in summer and reverse the way they spin to push down the warm air in the winter.

We have west facing windows on one entire side of the house. In the summer I make sure the blinds are closed on those windows.

Don't keep lights on if they aren't necessary? Not sure about that one, but my dh says lights heat up the house.

Good luck! Heat makes me miserable. I feel for you.

[spiderdust]

Ditto on the ceiling fan suggestion. We just hooked one up over the weekend and it has made a HUGE difference in how the house feels.

How cool is it at night? Lately we've been turning off the air at night and opening the windows really wide to get the cool air in. In the morning when the sun comes up, we close the windows.

We also have heavy black-out curtains on the windows that get the most sun. When the sun is shining on that side of the house, we keep them closed so the sun doesn't heat up the place.

Also, never underestimate the power of iced beverages and chilled cucumber slices & watermelon for snacks.

[Eman'smom]

Can you control which rooms get cooled and maybe just cool one or two? I know I'm miserable in the heat. We have a window ac unit in the bedroom so the rest of the house can be a bit warmer and I have a cool place to escape.

[liberal_chick]

Is your A/C unit in the shade? Sometimes, when our unit isn't keeping up with the heat, I've noticed it is generally when it is right in the sun. I go spray the unit with the water hose and can tell a pretty quick difference in the coolness of the air blowing into the house. I'm hoping dh will build a little shade thing for it soon.

[Okapi]

This isn't for the house, but might make you feel more comfortable. A while back, I read a tip from another poster that, if you are wearing a t-shirt, wetting the sleeves will keep you cool. I tried it when our AC went out a couple years ago, and it definitely made a big difference. They don't have to be dripping or anything. IIRC, I just sprayed a couple times with the spray bottle we use for our plants.

[MommaLura]

thank you, all! some wonderful ideas and suggestions. My unit is in the sun I'll have to water it and see, lol. The Florida heat has been extremely intense for everyone and has been in the triple digits.

[annethcz]

Originally Posted by Okapi

This isn't for the house, but might make you feel more comfortable. A while back, I read a tip from another poster that, if you are wearing a t-shirt, wetting the sleeves will keep you cool. I tried it when our AC went out a couple years ago, and it definitely made a big difference. They don't have to be dripping or anything. IIRC, I just sprayed a couple times with the spray bottle we use for our plants.

In addition to this, wet cloth/hanky on your neck will help you to stay cooler.

If you're not already drinking lots of ice water, that will also help. I have a couple of water bottles that I use- at night I fill them half full with water and put them in the freezer. When I want something cool to drink, I pull a bottle out and fill it the rest of the way with water. Much easier than making ice cubes constantly (if you don't have an automatic ice maker, that is).