Staying cool with lo-tech?

Hi,

Long time lurker, but first post (cause you're the guys that can answer this type of query!)

Very hot here at the moment, and got no air con. Trying to make sure my son (3 yrs old) doesn't overheat.

Aside from the usual (windows open, fans blowing, drink lots of water) any other ways to keep the house cool? I try to pull the drapes to stop too much direct sunlight getting in.

Any other ideas?

When I lived in Texas with no air conditioner I used to put those big furnace filters in the windows and kept them wet with a spray bottle that I kept near the window. It wasn't like air conditioning but it did help some. If you put a fan in front of the window it will draw the air through it and it's a little cooler.

Ditto on that with the 'AC filters in the window and wetting them.....If you don't have them on hand then hang wet towels in the windows.....or wet the drapes (if it won't get you in trouble with the family).

Keep hydrated....and that doesn't mean you can't do it it 'different' ways. Watermelon has a high water content, is refreshing and (some) kids love it. Italian ices or 'Flavor Ice" pops......don't forget those......

There are lots of ways......

here's some tips from many hot years in southern california (living in old apartments with no insulation and no AC)

if its possible, put a good box fan in the window of the shady/coolest side of your apt/house. i've got fans on both sides of the apt. in the morning i use the one on the cool side (west). and in the afternoon i pull in air from the one on the (east) side, and at night i use both. it sounds like a hassle but it really does work. make sure you've got good airflow.

get a vornado/cyclone type fan that sits close to the floor. point it up at an angle so it draws up and ciculates the cooler air.

if you can afford it, buy the cheapest air conditioner you can (home depot @60-70 bucks or less). just put a fan in front of it to help move that cool air. i had to buy a very small AC so that it could fit into a very awkward window (1950's building) with a very limited budget. i shoved it in there and used styrofoam and duct tape to seal it up. looks terrible but it works.

hope you stay cool!

Agreed. However, unless you get lucky and catch one on sale, a 6,000 BTU unit is around $100, or they are around here.

I borrowed one from a friend a year ago when my central air conditioning died in the middle of July. It did not make the house cool, but it did make the main living area fairly comfortable. It made the difference between miserable and just inconvenienced.

If you plan on using the A/C quite a bit, then get the highest EER that you can find, even if it means spending an extra $40 or so. They also come with all of the extra accordion-panels and stuff to mount it in a window without looking too bad.

To risk derailing my own thread:

Most of my preparedness kit is around avoiding wind, rain etc. But in an emergency in the summer, when it's very hot, what's a good bet for shelter? Would a space blanket help reflect the suns heat away (better than just shade from a tarp?)

I think I read once about using two cotton sheets as layers of tarps - as one gets hot from the sun it creates a thermal current to draw air through to create a breeze? Any ideas, or has senility come early?

I spent a summer in West TX in 100-110 degree heat. It was rough. I can't imagine doing it with a 3 year old. We (my college roomates and I) lasted until mid august before we bought a little 6000btu. We put it in the living area's window and all basically lived in that room until late September. I'm not sure there really is a "good" answer to this one unless you have a large body of water nearby for frequent swimming. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to put my 3 year old son in a cool bath several times a day if that was the only option. It will work very well, but you have to do it frequently and after a month of that, the money you spend on the water bill could have bought you a 6000btu window unit. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

If you live in a dry climate like the Southwest US, then the evaporative methods mentioned (wet filter in window) may be effective to some extent. One very direct version of this is to wear a wet shirt. You will probably find that cotton is uncomfortable wet, so polyester will be better. Look for the polyester athletic shirts used for working out or sports, etc. They have to be rewetted frequently and a spray bottle is a good method.

In humid climates like the Southeast US, the evaporative methods may help but are less effective. The cheap air conditioner idea will be the best chance for relief from humidity.

Sounds like a variation on the explanation of why Bedouins living in the arid, scorching desert typically wear heavy, dark robes. Some scientists did some research and found that although the skin temperature of people wearing light and dark colored robes were similar, those wearing dark robes felt more comfortable.

The reason why dark robes feel more comfortable is because, first, the dark robes are worn over a second, lighter layer. The dark robes absorb sunlight, heat the air trapped beneath them, then the air rises through the garment as convection currents. As the warm air rises, it draws somewhat cooler air through the bottom of the robe, and that air flow helps evaporate the sweat that is soaking the inner layer and on the skin. Thus, you end up with a drier layer of clothing next to your skin, plus the cooling effect of evaporation. With light colored clothes, the outer layer will reflect the sun's rays, but that does nothing (or does less than a dark color) to enhance the evaporation of sweat from the fabric or the skin, so you end up with a clammier feeling garment even if the the light colored exterior reflects more of the sun's rays. Pretty slick, eh?

However, while that principle may work for personal robes while sitting quietly or moving slowly in an arid environment, I'm doubtful that you could generate strong enough convection currents from some sort of tarp shelter to make any difference to the people taking shelter under it, like some sort of natural air conditioning system. That just doesn't seem possible.

I would agree with a couple well placed fans. Additionally, I blast the fans inward during the nighttime, either in my bedroom or another room if the fan noise is bothersome. Then, the tricky part, keep all doors and windows closed during the day's heat! It's been tough to keep roommates from leaving doors and windows open during the day, but it makes a huge difference.

The first hot weekend is rough around here, but after trapping cooler night time air in the house, and keeping it in here, it's much more comfortable.

J

Oh yeah, one more thing. Keeping a ceiling fan on or having a box fan pointed at you can help a lot also.

Back when I was in an aartment, I would go out during the hottest part of the day -- grocery shopping, library swimming, etc.

TRO

Having grown up in the Arizona desert, with no A/C for most of my life, I'm an expert on this subject. Loose fitting cotton (or other organic fibers) clothes (RE Lawrence of Arabia) and plenty of fluids. If you have a fan all the better, and if it gets too bad, wet the little tykes head and let the fan cool his head.

Reasons:
Nylon, polyester, and other synthetic fabrics are heat sinks and actually absorb heat from the air. That's why airline strewardesses greatest injury in an airplane crash is burns to the legs.

Natural fibers absorb the moisture from persperation and allow it to evaporate evenly providing natural cooling.
The head dissipates more heat than any part of the body and wet hair will cause the most effective cooling providing there is air flow.

I camp in the Arizona desert in the summer, with a 7 an 9 year old to teach them summer survival and we haven't had a bad time yet.

Loose cotton clothes and Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

If you have a fan blowing directly on you and squirt a little cold water mist on yourself from a spray bottle, that's pretty cool. Also, drink ice water, it takes your mind away from the heat.

Put a fan in the lowest window on the shadiest side of the house, blowing inward. If you can wet the bushes and grass on that side, so much the better.

Put a second fan in the highest window on the opposite side of the house blowing OUTWARD.

Prevent the kids from running around in the heat. Sounds obvious, but when I lived in Las Vegas I saw it all the time.

Sue