I know that most of you "off the grid" don't have air conditioning but I was wondering how many of you on the grid are doing with air conditioning this summer and WHY?

We haven't used our central air conditioning unit again this summer, primarily because we can't afford to pay the bill when it is on. We have no shade trees around our house. Although the house is insulated well, it is EXTREMELY HOT and HUMID this year in north Alabama! We have ceiling fans in the living room and our bed room and they help a little but not much when it is 95 degrees!

We did turn the air on one day last week but it needs freon so is basically no good anyway....even if we could afford the freon right now we'd have to get on a waiting list of someone to install it...

So I'm interested in why you don't have AC on and how you are keeping cool!

I know we're helping the environment a lot! And maybe I'm sweating off a few pounds! But since my office is at home I'm hot when I'm at work and when I'm off!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 10, 2001

Answers

I have lived all my life in cooler climates and didn't need air, in fact in some places I have lived you could wear a sweatshirt in summer. Here in S.E. OK, I am dying with the heat and if hubby turns off the Air he will have an insane wife.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), July 10, 2001.

We're on the grid, and we use two things to run the A/C, and kepp the bill down. 1). We have a modern thermostat controller, allowing us to set temps for waking (6am 68 deg.--I'll explain why in a minute), leaving (8am 80 deg), Return (4pm 76 deg), and Sleep (9pm 72 deg), and weekends have a wake and sleep time (both at 70 deg).

2). We use a feature the electric company gives as an option--Time of Day billing. We get a digital meter, that keeps track of what time of day we use the electricity. From 8am to 9pm in summer, we pay a 40% surcharge, and from 9pm to 8am, we get a 50% discount (and we get this all weekend). (In winter, the peak hours are 7am to 8pm). SO we cool the house down at the last moment of cheap power--Often with the day temp set to 80, (and it's been well into the 90s the last few weeks), the A/C won't have to kick in until 1-3pm, which means we got to cool our house for about 2.x cents kWH, as opposed to about 8 cents if used during the day. We wash clothes at night and weekends, and other measures. We have reduced our bill considerably this way, and can afford to have a cool house. We use the fluorescent lights that cost about $8-$15, and use 1/4th the power--have had some of them over 2 years now, and going strong (Alleged life expectency is ~5 years)--these bulbs have more than paid for themselves in savings on our bill.

When I didn't ahve central A/C, I foten positioned a fan on each floor at one end for intake, and another opposite it for exhaust-- this kept a steady supply of air flow, and all but the hottest days were quite bearable. Also, consider intaking cool night air this way, and shutting the windows in the morning.

Brendan in IA

-- Brendan K Callahan (sleeping@netins.net), July 10, 2001.

I'm not off the grid, nor would I think of trying to survive the summer without a/c after having had a heat stroke. We used to live in FL and almost bought a house down there that was truly amazing! They needed no a/c at all and the house was so cool it was like walking into an igloo.

They had origanlly had a very small mobile home and then added another house and a half made out of cinder block. They tied it all together with an over-roof that gave them about half again as much rafter storage space. The roof wasn't attached to the actual house so the heat didn't build up inside and there was plenty of air circulation beneath the roof so it stayed really cool.

I know you said the humidity is high, but try placing a pan of water in front of your window fans and see if that helps. That's what my mother and grandmother did when they were young prior to air conditioning units. Also, I would invest in some window tinting film like they put on cars. Our office is in the direct path of the afternoon sun and it cut the temperature by about ten degrees or more and our a/c is finally able to keep up enough to cool that room.

-- Stephanie Nosacek (pospossum@earthlink.net), July 10, 2001.

I choose to live off-grid and without a/c. The grid runs right down the road in front of the house, and I could easily afford the cost with the money spent on solar modules, batteries, inverter, etc. Two main reasons for this. 1. My electricity is always on. Even when the neighbors' power is out, mine is on. 2. I have no power bill. My reason for not using a/c is simply that it is an unnecessary luxury.

The house is on two levels, with the top level being an attic. On hot days, the temp is about 70 degrees in the morning. I spend the day downstairs if I am home. By about 1:00 pm, it is very warm upstairs. I keep the windows open upstairs because the outside air is usually cooler than the inside temp up there. I keep the downstairs windows closed because the outside temp is usually warmer than the temp inside. The warm air flowing upstairs will stay there, and the cool air will stay down. We have very few really uncomfortable days using this system.

After the sun goes down, the outside temp is usually 10-20 degrees cooler than the temp upstairs. About 30 minutes before bedtime, I turn on the attic fan. It brings in cooler air through the upstairs windows and cools the attic where the bedrooms are. When it is time for bed, It is relatively cool, and I turn the attic fan off. It is noisy and uses lots of electricity. On particularly humid nights, I run a ceiling fan mounted directly over the bed. It is rarely uncomfortable.

There are shade trees around the house, but they really offer no protection during the hottest months. The sun basically shines straight down on summer days and goes between the trees. It's not easy being comfortable in the south without a/c, but it can be done.

-- Jim (catchthesun@yahoo.com), July 10, 2001.

We very conservatively use the central A/C unit. I feel that because of this it has lasted well past it's projected lifespan of 14 years. (25 years old and still troublefree--knock on wood). I personally would not have one but the dh insists. It is on only when the humidity is high. It is turned on at 4pm and off at 10pm when necessary, with more hours if needed on weekends. We just use a fan in the bedroom over night but keep the windows closed to keep the humidity out. I keep the house closed up during the day and do not run the unit. I use the ceiling fan over this computer or a trashpicked small fan on the counter in the kitchen and wear cool, airy clothing. Shades on the south side are kept down during the day. Even with sporatic use, our electric bill only averaged $28.29 a month last year for all electric cooking, the fridge, extra upright freezer, lights and a/c. I don't expect it to vary much this year. Conservation is the key. My dream house would be super insulated with thick walls. I get so upset that builder's are still using flimsy 2x4 construction in new homes. How many power plants could be avoided with better building standards. Nobody thinks long term. Everyone wants quick and cheap. But we end up paying more long term. Enery rates never go down.

-- Sandy Davis (smd2@netzero.net), July 10, 2001.

We live off the grid in a strawbale house. We open all the windows in the evening and then close them up in the morning. It stays very comfortable inside. We also have ceiling fans that add to the comfort. Yesterday it was 95 degrees outside but never got above 75 degrees inside. It depends on how cool it is at night, of course the cooler it gets at night the cooler the house will be the next day.

-- Doug in KY (toadshutes@yahoo.com), July 10, 2001.

Do you have tall vegetation, such as desciduous(sp?) trees between your house and the sun? Desciduous trees, meaning trees which drop their leaves in season, allowing sunlight to pour through during the winter months and providing shade during spring and summer(my apologies if I am coming across condescending). Quick aside: If you do, be sure and cut back any vegetation sweeping your roofing, especially built up asphalt. Your roofing will last much longer.

Having a shady, grassy yard between the prevailing breeze and your home also helps, especially if you have a large body of water involved. Now that is air conditioning! I also think that how your windows are opened have a lot to do with air flow inside the house; a few intakes with more exhausts increase wind flow through the house. The opposite occurs when more wind blows into the house and has no place to go.

Shading your roof and walls during summer months helps a lot. Wide roof overhangs, preventing direct sunlight from spilling onto your windows is another big heat gain load on your home temperature environment.

In the meantime, old timers used to put out pans of water, cover with a damp towel, and run an electric fan over that.

If you are usually in your home, are you able to dress for the occasion, or do you expect visitors often? When I'm at home, cut offs, sandals and a light t-shirt is about what I can stand. My wife buys old linen sheets which have washed so many times it is nearly transparent; when we sleep, we sleep cool, especially under a ceiling fan.

I don't know how to eliminate the effects of humidity; you have it or you don't. There may be a way to minimize the effects of it, but other than a/c, I'm not sure what.

Hope this helps some.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), July 10, 2001.

When we built our house we purposely avoided air conditioning because of the cost, and we like fresh air in the house. We'd also lived in Africa and thought we could handle any Kentucky heat. These last days have been a real trial, however, with the heat index over 100, and the air so thick you can almost cut it. We have shade trees on the south side of the house and ceiling fans in every room. We have a whole-house fan in the attic which we run at night if the outside temperature drops significantly (which it hasn't the last couple of nights). We also have a basement and keep the door to the upstairs open. We built the house with 2x6s instead of 2x4 studs, so we have added insulation, and we splurged on low E, argon-filled windows which I think are super necessary to keep it liveable inside. They really do keep out the heat in summer and keep in the heat in winter. It may be hot, but I always smile when they report on the news how high people's electric bills are in the summer; ours are lower in summer than winter. Also I think it's harder to work outside when you get used to air conditioning inside.

-- Katherine (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), July 10, 2001.

Here in MI, our weather is schizophrenic at best. Yesterday & today it's 90 & super humid. By Thurs, we're expecting a high of 75. This is normal. You just DON'T put away your winter clothes if you live in MI b/c you just never know what the weather's going to do!

We live in a gigantic, 100+ year old farmhouse & don't have air conditioning & we stay quite comfortable. It's 90* outside & right now it's 76* in my house. I listened to a wise old woman's simple advice & it works: Open the windows at night & close them during the day! Here's how: In the evening, after the sun has set, I open all windows & doors I can for cross-ventilation. I put as many fans as possible in these windows & doors to suck in the cool air & circulate it around the house, cooling everything down all night long. In the morning, after it starts to warm up, I close the house up as tightly as possible, close curtains, blinds & I hang bedsheets on any windows & doors, that don't have curtains or blinds - to completely block the sun out. I put the fans on the floor & turn them on low to keep that cool air circulating around the house. I turn our ceiling fans on the direction where they suck the cool air up from the floor & keep things circulating that way, too. I close the doors to all the rooms I'm not going to use & that tend to get warm, during the day. I keep our door to our stairway open & there is a window open right at the top of the stairs, so the warm air rises upstairs & goes out that window.

Voila! 76* without A.C.!

Yes, we DO have deciduous trees strategically planted by some smart person many, many decades ago. I'm sure these help GREATLY! Some not- so-smart person, in the past, cut down 2 of these trees on the southwest part of the house - this is the area I have the most trouble with. . . hence: the sheets.

I know all this sounds silly, but if you get into a routine & you just DO it, it really works! Hopefully, one of these days, we can afford to convert & get off-grid, but for now . . . open at night . . . closed during the day . . . Repeat after me! "Open at night . . .closed during the day. . . "

Good luck everyone! Regards, Sarah/MI

-- Sarah Sanders (chilechile@hotmail.com), July 10, 2001.

Yep, open at night, closed during the day... lol

Thats our modus operandi also. We rent an old farmhouse with 10 foot ceilings and it stays cool enough to survive with fans.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 10, 2001.

I live in central florida and do not use air conditioning because I cannot afford to be come addicted to it and have lived without it for 52 years. One important point that you might have missed is if you choose not to run your air, at least turn it on for a few minutes per month in that the seals inside the unit do dry out and will let the freon escape if their not keep wet. Auto units too.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), July 10, 2001.

No air conditioning for us. But then nobody out here has it. We are lucky to have moderate summer temperatures. If it hits 80 here, it is a HOT day for us...average summer temperatures are in the low 70's.

-- sheepish (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), July 10, 2001.

While I personally am an air conditioning wimp (home, office and truck), I do agree with the method described above and still use it with one twist here. At the top of the stairs consider a whole house fan in the ceiling. With that you're not reliant on a cross breeze in the late afternoon/early evening to cool the house and you get the added bonus of getting all of the super heated air out of my attic. The theory and timing of opening and closing the house is the same. The only additional step is when you open, you turn on the fan and when you close up you shut it off. You can also add a timer to the system if you like. Even an AC wimp like me can cut usage down well below half with this method. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 10, 2001.

OUt here in Colorado, we don't need air, but, boy, in Central Texas, we did. We did, however, use it conservatively. I was raised without air, and was usually very comfortable with it set at 80 during the day, and off at night. When I was growing up, we had a swamp cooler. That wonderful invention might be a good option for you, if you can find one.

-- mary, in colorado (marylgarcia@aol.com), July 10, 2001.

Hi Suzy! We don't have AC, but we do have a couple of ceiling fans that move the air around. I don't know how others can stand to have the windows shut during the day, I don't like it stuffy & stale even if it is a few degrees cooler. It is almost always breezy here where we are, surrounded by farm fields. We drink lots of water, sponge off with cool water now & then and adjust our activities. If we have a long stretch of heat we'll eat out for supper somewhere to cool off, or go to the pool or even to Walmart for a while. My children have a small pool to splash around in and the sprinkler. We are pretty used to the heat by now, though. We're working on scraping and painting the barn this month. BTW, it is 94 degrees today. Stay cool! Jean

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), July 10, 2001.

We live in a new (three year old) house in central Connecticut. Opted to not install A/C but instead got a whole house attic fan. It really draws up the hot air. My husband also has a strict regimen of closing the windows and pulling down the shades on the sunny side of the house. Works pretty well, but we still look forward to the cool evening air to arrive.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), July 10, 2001.

No AC here, just a bowl of icecubes with a fan behind them. LOL!!!!

Can just barely afford the bill now plus I grew up without AC and although it can get hot & humid here in Mich. it can get chilly too (weird weather here) I guess its just something I have grown to get used to. besides all the expert's say sweating is good for ya, cleans all them impurities out of ya!!

-- TomK (tjk@cac.net), July 10, 2001.

Cinderblock house on concrete slab with cinderblock interior walls = 12 hour thermal lag. This means that during the day, the house works its way up very slowly from the nighttime low, and during the night the process reverses. Pretty even, reasonable temp is the result. This year we have a few cieling fans, more to help with distributing this coming winter's heat than anything else. They're nice, but hardly necessary. Mid NC, for reference. It was 90-ish and humid today. The house felt like a shady river bank when I got home, as everything was shut up since 6:30 am. AC itself makes my joints hurt, so any high heat in mid-Aug.is tolerated on that basis. Always have to take a shawl to the movies. Brrrrr.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), July 10, 2001.

Ventilate your roof space somehow, so the air heated by the roof is drawn out before it turns the rest of the house into an oven.

Insulate at least the roof space.

If you don't have deciduous trees to the south and west (in your hemisphere) think about adding a verandah or porch (always useful). People talk about putting a greenhouse on the south of a house for winter heat - well, you could, but build it so it can be ventilated and shaded (shade cloth?) during summer, then it would be a cool moist shady space between the house and the sun. Alternatively you could put up a pergola and grow deciduous vines - Chinese gooseberries/kiwifruit, chokos/chayote, passionfruit, grapevines, ornamentals, whatever. If not a pergola, even just a straight frame would help, although it wouldn't shield from above. You can also put shades (little roofs) above the windows: these can be permanent, or canvas. Placed right, they will shade the windows from overhead summer sun, but let the lower-angled winter sun in.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 10, 2001.

We are on grid and off a/c.My husband installs them,and i definately won't have one.We have a 150 year old farmhouse,same advice as above,open windows all night ,I close'em about 10am before the heat sets in,run fans.We do the hard work,gardening,stalls,mowing very early or dusk.Its 90 in the shade here today and 72 inside,very humid too.I run a dehumidifier into the sump hole in the basement,its real nice down there!!!!!I wait all winterfor this weather,I don't mind !!!

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), July 10, 2001.

Lots of good advice. We would set up yard showers to cool off under while working in the yard. That helped a lot. Also you can draw air in from shady side of house in am. and from other side pm. Cool the bed room with ac for hour or two when necessary ).

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), July 10, 2001.

I try to go as long in the summer as I can without turning the a/c on. When my wife starts coming at me with a butcher knife than I know it is time to turn it on. I have to agree with Kathrin, when the a/c comes on it seems like I don't do as much around the place. I try to get up early and do all my routine chores before it gets hot. The other day I started picking green beans about 8 am and come about 10:00 am I was starting to get sunburned. Here lately in N.E. Oklahoma the temperature has been hovering around 98-99 degreas, with the heat index about 107. Come the middle of the day I go in the house and don't emerge until about 7:00 pm. and put my chickens up for the night, and finally try to do a few other things until it gets to dark to see.

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), July 10, 2001.

Now, just because we're up north doesn't mean we don't get hot. We've had several days over 90 degrees and the humidity and dew points aren't afraid of climbing either. We don't use air here either. We have two ceiling fans and open the windows as night and close them during the day. We have lots of trees that shade the house except for the first morning sun. The house foundation is also build down about 5 inches so that you have to step down to get into the main part of the house - the additions are all at ground level.

We do have a window A/C unit (haven't used it for a couple of years) if we do use it we use it in the bed room so we get a good night's sleep and can close the door to keep the cool air contained although we usually use a pedestal fan instead.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), July 10, 2001.

Suzy: I'm in the whole house fan group. You can get then for about 100 bucks and they really work!!....Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), July 11, 2001.

My husband and I stopped using AC about four years ago, and don't really miss it much. One of the main reasons we stopped was that both of us have sensitive sinuses, and going in and out of drastically different climates several times a day seems to make the situation worse. We can get away with that because we have ten foot ceilings, and windows that go from about knee high to about 6 inches below the ceiling. We open the bottoms wide, generously crack the tops, and turn on the ceiling fans. Huge trees all around the house are a tremendous help too, it's always more comfortable in the front grove, no matter how hot and sticky it is out in the field. And yes, it gets terrible here sometimes. While working outside, I've been keeping a careful eye out. With the humidity we've been 'enjoying' for the past few weeks, it wouldn't surprise me to see a fish swim by, heading for a cooler home.

A few of my favorite personal coolers-

Keep damp hand towels or good sized rags in the freezer. Get one out as you need it, and drape it around your neck. Handy for while you're canning.

Drink LOTS of ice water.

Start your own wet t-shirt contest. If you're outside and a breeze is blowing, a cool damp shirt feels good. On still days, this option isn't as effective.

Turn nocturnal, and save your hottest tasks for the coolest part of the day - night. This is another good thing to do during canning season. I pick in the morning, and get the stuff cleaned up and in a cool spot. I get the laundry out, or do whatever else I need to outside, until it gets too hot outside, then do some housework. I then take a cool shower, and sleep through the hottest part of the day. I get up in time to fix dinner/do chores, then I start processing the stuff. After the sun goes down, and the temperature drops, I fire up the stove, sometimes working clear through until sunup. I take a quick nap to give the dew time to dry, and start picking the next batch.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), July 11, 2001.

We have no airconditioning and we live here in North Alabama also. We both had air before coming to the farm but decided that if we sat inside in the air conditioning we would miss out on a lot. We open and close windows and have fans, probably not much cheaper than air conditioning but we prefer it this way. Another good reason is with out air the grown kids don't even think about moving back in, think about it.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), July 11, 2001.

Suzy, I work out of my house too, on grid, no air. I really, really know what you are going thru. Often, when I do paperwork in the heat of the day, sweat will constantly drip onto the quotes and bids I am working on, and will be wet in a short time.

Since alot of my work involves sales, I try to spend the hottest and most humid days in the car, making calls in AC offices. I will also take work stuff to lunch and stay for a long time in AC resturaunts. You would be surprised how dead an eatery will be and how no one will care if you go in after 1:30 in the afternoon. I usually order an ice tea, and explain to the waitress why I am there. They are usually very understanding. I also always leave a good tip.

I also have a couple of accounts that will let me use a spare office on really hot days, even though I rarely use the opportunity. Just a couple ideas. Hope they help. Remember that you are not the only one that goes thru this.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), July 11, 2001.

Being a born and bred San Diegan, when my new husband talked about the humidity in Texas, I scoffed. Now living in it, folks who live in normal hot temps with no humidity simply don't understand humidity. A whole house fan only sucks in damp hot air, if you set a pan of wet soon to be water, ice ;) behind a fan, you would grow mold on your walls. Without AC your house quickly turns musty, your kids get asthma, and it ruins your furniture. When you take a shower and dry off, the towel which in San Diego would be dry by the next morning shower is still soaking wet 3 days later in Texas. Towels are one use items and into the hamper, not necessarily needing to be washed but to be dried. You have to run at sundown to get your clothes off the line or they will be damp again. I wear small rubber boots to do chores in the morning, or my feet would be soaking wet from the dew on the grass. Every morning your car looks like it has been rained on, and the road dirt soon turns your car red. If you add up all the watts you use on fans and ceiling fans, you are soon to the number of a window airconditioning unit, which around here are mounted through the wall. Super insulation is great, but to tight of a vapor barrier and you mold your sheetrock. I could go on....Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 11, 2001.

On the grid here in Maine. It's been mostly cool and breezy this year, though we had two weeks or so of hot weather. No A/C. I keep the shades drawn on the windows the sun is shining in. I close all windows in the morning to keep the cool air in. After the kids go in and out often enough, it gets warm in here so I open the windows and doors on the shady side of the house and turn fans on to blow the cooler air in. Late afternoon it gets too warm in here just when it starts cooling off outside, so we hang out under the canopy I put over the kiddie swimming pool where a breeze comes through. the kiddie pool is rather large and I do not let the sun shine on it, so the cold water in it cools the air under the canopy. Once the house cools off, we go back in:)

-- Epona (crystalepona2000@yahoo.com), July 11, 2001.

Oooour house is surroounded by 100 years old trees, huge maples and oaks and this place stays cool all summer, at night when it is hot we run a fan by the fron screen door that has a thremostat and will shut down when the house is cool along towards morning. Then we shut the place up and it feels like AC all day. My shop is even better, it has 6" insulated wall, I leave it open all night and close it down as soon as the sun hits the east side. But, in the winter the house is cold, we have to start heating long before other people do. the house was built in 1889 and there is little insulation, tho i have insulated all the floors. Here in southern Oregon the winters are very mild but the summers are real hot, we have had a few 100+ days already. We have sold this place and are soon to move, one of the reasons is because this place heats so poorly even with all the new windows and insulation.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), July 11, 2001.

we have central ac-but don't use it. It costs us more than our rent to run it-and at the moment it is broke. We are in the upper nineties and even broke 100 several days with very high humidity the last several days...it is stinkin' hot. We are in SW MO.

How do we stay cool-we don't. We sweat, feel rotten but just chug along anyway. When I am desperate (I am pregnant) we usually go to town for the errand we keep putting off (we have a long list of those) but of course after we go inside an air conditioned store-it is worse coming back out. Maybe it will rain and cool things off a bit.

Attitude helps-and we drink tons of water-we also avoid caffeine and soda-and we eat lightly. Baths in cool water help especially ater a day working in construction (for hubby) and when the animals get watered again-mysteriously the children seem to "miss the water bucket' just a bit :)

Summer is hot here-but it is half over. Sure it will get hot- probably hotter than it has been, but it won't last forever. And we will get through. Life slows down when it is so hot-but that is a good thing.

Stay cool-and remember that there is always someone out there who is worse off than you-that helps me keep my perspective.

Sarah

-- Sarah (heartsongacres@juno.com), July 11, 2001.

I live in a relative uninsulated metal box commonly called a trailer or mobile home. I keep the summer therostat at about 85 degrees and use the sweat criteria as a compromise. If I start to sweat, I'll turn it down a bit. Then back up after finishing whatever I was doing to sweat. 85 degrees isn't really all that uncomfortable. A ceiling fan does help to circulate the air.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 11, 2001.

Gee folks....at least it helps to know there are others out there sweating along with me!

I lived in central Florida in the mid-1970's (when I had two small little girls then) and we didn't have AC in the house or the car and didn't seem to miss it...but there was a breeze there or something...

Here the air is just HEAVY and HANGS there! Think of old movies about the south and you'll know what I mean....

I keep the bunnies circulation fan running and have them icey bottles to snuggle with but I AM BURNING UP!!!

We had an attic fan in our other house but the doctor made me quit using it because of my allergies....he said it was bringing everything in that I was allergic too...

thanks for all the comments!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 11, 2001.

Suzy - If you are near Huntsville or even Birmingham - go to the ice rink. you can watch for free and it is the coolest place in town and not crowded during the summer. It also clears up sinus headaches from the oppressive weather. Angie

-- Angie M (ameininger@hotmail.com), July 11, 2001.

Ken, Have you got a roof or canopy or something over your trailer/mobile? It's not TOO expensive (compared to going on feeding an airconditioner year after year). What I said in a previous post about ventilating roofspace comes for free if you've just got a canopy shading the real roof of what you live in. Could even be as simple as using the centre bay in an open-sided hayshed, and allowing the outer bays (full of hay) to protect you from wind in winter.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 11, 2001.

Don:

My location and usage doesn't make something like putting it in a pole barn structure feasible. I rather like to see something when I look out the windows. I have not priced a second roof, but suspect the payback period would be fairly long. I can live with what I have.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 11, 2001.

110 here in the camper the other day. So I refilled the dog's wading pool and plunked myself down in the cold cold well water for awhile. Didn't re-enter the camper until dark was threatening. By then, with the fan going full blast, it was just about bearable - for me, who likes it abnormally warm to start with. LOL!

Being wet does wonders to cool me down, even when humidity is high.

(OK, OK, its not the first time I've been told I'm "all wet". LOL!)

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), July 11, 2001.

Suzy,

I understand the need to save money, but don't risk a heat stroke. Keep yourself well hydrated and if you are getting too hot, find a way to get cool. It takes a long time to get your body used to no AC. A good friend decided it was a luxury they could live without and she says it took her three years to get acclimitized. I suspect your humidity in Alabama is much like it is here in OK. Keep a fan on you as much as possible. My friend mentioned above swears by wet socks at night. She puts on wet socks when she goes to bed and sleeps with a fan blowing across the bed. Don't try to tough it out if you start to feel ill. Take a drive in the car with the air on or follow some of the suggestions above. Be safe.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), July 12, 2001.

I live on the grid. Have one small 5000btu ac. Cools the entire house.When we closed the windows, turned the fans off 'Except the ceiling fan'and turned the ac on, our elec. bill is lower.Be fore the ac (three yrs ago) we had 5 fans going . Here in southwest Va. we have cool nights but hot humid days. If it gets to warm, go to Wally World and spend the day. Later Nathan

-- Nathan Harris Sr. (barnyard_mini@yahoo.com), July 12, 2001.

A propane oven/stove kept outside the house with a canopy made with poles and a tarp or plywood with gravel roofing paper covering for sun or rain protection can keep the house from getting hotter by cooking outside.Even if you use AC it will lower the electric bill .

-- SM Steve (A12goat@cs.com), July 12, 2001.

We have Central air BUT we don't turn it on until it is unbearable here. And this year that was July 2. If it cools off at night below 80 we will turn off the air and turn on the Attic fan [whole house fan]but so far that hasn't happened. I use ceiling fans to keep the air moving so the a/c can be set set on 78 degrees. I grew up in Galveston, Texas without a/c and even though it did get hot and 90 was considered really hot there was always a breeze off the gulf. Yes my dress shoes grew green mold from Sunday to Sunday but .....

The person with the really low electric bill...I use fluorescent lighting and have an electric stove and two refrigerators and two freezers and an electric water heater [how do you heat water?] and my bill is never under $90 without a/c. How do you do this? Do you cook? Speaking of cooking...You don't have to build an outdoor kitchen just set your crockpot outside and plug it in. make salads and other cold foods. In the same line as the wet t-shirt...I have a friend who puts on a wet dress in the a.m. and does her chore and housework in it with ceiling fans on...she says it keeps her surprisingly cool. Once on this forum some one mentioned keepin a bottle of alcohol or lith after shower cologne in the refrig. and splashing that on. The idea of wet towels in the frig to drape across your neck is GREAT!!! That gives you shivers on the hottest day! I really feel for you because here in Arkansas I have lived without a/c and it was awful. The summer of 1980 it didn't get below 95 degress for several weeks, but we survived-but only by spending our days lying in the creek. Nights were MISERABLE! We are hoping to sell our house and move to an area that at least has nights that cool down to 70 or below..I can take the heat in the daytime if it just cools off at night.....We think the rest of the country will be going the way of California and we need to live somewhere where the summers are not so HOT! My rose are crispy brown before they even get opened yo all the way. But we've had a good garden this year...I attribute that to a cooler than normal June. In His Hand, Artie Ann

-- Artie Ann (rokarns@arkansas.net), July 12, 2001.

We don't have AC, never wanted to even think about putting it in up here. We don't have forced heat either. But up on this hill, 99% of the summer it is very cool in the house and under the trees outside. Only 2 or 3 days a summer does it get dripping hot. I freeze in AC at the grocery stores, I can't wait to get back outside and warm up.

My windows and doors are always open except in the dead of winter, and then I feel all stuffy, I don't like them all closed. I have to HEAR everything outside, the birds, the goats, everything. In the winter I worry because I can't hear out there as good. If a goat has her head stuck in the fence way out in the farthest pasture, I can hear it clear as a bell with all the windows open.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), July 12, 2001.

We are fortunate to have several shade trees around the house to help keep it cool. We also put a box fan in an upstairs window facing outside. This pulls the hot air out of the house and the cooler air in, creating a draft. Our West doors are almost always open and since we live about 10 miles from the ocean we get a breeze most of the day, which also helps. All these things work most of the time, but when it gets over 100 the only thing to do is get a lounge chair and a glass of iced tea.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), July 12, 2001.

Like Trisha, I also live in MN and can confirm it does get hot up here. I live on the grid and have central AC. Have not turned it on yet. I am still trying to warm up from last winter. If I get too warm I just go jump in a lake. BTW, lots of people tell me to "go jump in the lake" all the time. LOL

-- Bill (sticky@2sides.tape), July 12, 2001.

I agree with Cindy in KY. I live in Northern Central Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau and love to keep the windows open. People pay big money to move to the country for the fresh clean air and the first things they do is shut all the windows and turn on the AC, both at home and in the car...... Darned thing messes up my sinuses too. A good ceiling fan does wonders.

Mike

-- Mike (mledbetter@infoave.net), July 13, 2001.