scrappinmama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,877
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
|
Post by scrappinmama on Jul 23, 2015 21:37:53 GMT
I just got confirmation the a/c has bit the dust. We will be without a/c for one week. It will be in the 90's for the next few days. Does anyone have an tips? I feel like I'm being such a baby about this. I realize that there are plenty people who have no a/c and manage just fine. I should just suck it up for the next week and deal with it. We have ceiling fans in every room, and I went out and bought a couple box fans to place in the bedrooms so we would have 2 fans blowing at night. Anyone else have any other tips?
|
|
|
Post by meridon on Jul 23, 2015 21:43:44 GMT
Put a bowl of ice in front of the box fans so they are blowing cold air on you. Take a cold shower before bed (not hot or else you will just raise the temp in the adjacent bedroom) so your wet hair helps you feel cooler with a breeze blowing on you.
Go to the movies or the library or the mall, etc. to escape the heat of the day.
|
|
|
Post by meridon on Jul 23, 2015 21:45:10 GMT
I know some communities also have programs that give fans and a/c window units to families in need. I wonder if they would let you borrow one? Might be worth a call to United Way to see if they are aware of any programs in your area.
|
|
flute4peace
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,757
Jul 3, 2014 14:38:35 GMT
|
Post by flute4peace on Jul 23, 2015 21:45:40 GMT
Move out
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 14, 2024 21:46:25 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2015 21:48:38 GMT
After spending countless days outside watching soccer tournaments in extreme heat, I've come to love the Frog Tog. It really cools your body down. Frog Tog
|
|
scrappinmama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,877
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
|
Post by scrappinmama on Jul 23, 2015 21:51:57 GMT
I know some communities also have programs that give fans and a/c window units to families in need. I wonder if they would let you borrow one? Might be worth a call to United Way to see if they are aware of any programs in your area. We have plenty of fans. Fortunately, there are ceiling fans, and I have those tower fans too. The ice bowl in front of the fans is a great idea! If it wasn't for the fact that I work Saturday night, we would go out of town for the weekend to escape the heat. But we can go to a museum during the day. If it gets bad enough, we may very well end up checking in to a local hotel for a couple nights. I'm mostly worried about my teens, who will be home while dh and I are at work. Fortunately, they are in camp tomorrow. I'm off work on Monday, so we can go to a movie. So that leaves Tuesday, Wednesday with the heat. I will definitely work 1/2 days so I can pick them up and get them out of the house for a few hours.
|
|
scrappinmama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,877
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
|
Post by scrappinmama on Jul 23, 2015 21:52:37 GMT
After spending countless days outside watching soccer tournaments in extreme heat, I've come to love the Frog Tog. It really cools your body down. Frog TogThank you!!! I saw those in the store over the weekend. I will go out today to buy them.
|
|
|
Post by Merge on Jul 23, 2015 21:59:34 GMT
Move into an extended stay hotel? LOL I'm only half kidding.
|
|
|
Post by JustCallMeMommy on Jul 23, 2015 22:01:08 GMT
Mine went out Tuesday, and, fortunately, the guy fixed it today. We just used a lot of fans, but if it was going to be a week, I think I would go buy a window unit for one room, and we'd hang out and sleep there.
|
|
|
Post by krazykatlady on Jul 23, 2015 22:03:06 GMT
I'd buy a window a/c unit before I stayed in a hotel several nights. You can have one cool room for everyone to crash in.
|
|
|
Post by meridon on Jul 23, 2015 22:05:19 GMT
Aren't a/c window units pretty cheap? Like a couple hundred dollars? I'd buy one, use it for the week (much cheaper than a hotel) and then resell it on craigslist for slightly less.
|
|
|
Post by papersilly on Jul 23, 2015 22:06:46 GMT
Put a bowl of ice in front of the box fans so they are blowing cold air on you. i walked into my hospital's pharmacy during an especially brutal heat wave and there was a big ice chest on the ground. it was filled with ice and was sitting in front of a floor fan. I asked if the pharm tech if it was working and she said yes. it was that extra blast of cold air they wanted because the pharmacy doors kept opening automatically and letting the a/c air out. I've done it on a much smaller scale on my desk at work and it actually works.
|
|
|
Post by hosschick on Jul 23, 2015 22:07:29 GMT
Close drapes/blinds, especially on whatever side of the house the sun is shining.
Mess around with the ceiling fans - there should be a little switch that changes the flow direction. You may have more success pulling the air from floor to ceiling (it should be cooler on the floor). Depending upon your house configuration, it may help to put a box fan in a window upstairs, pointing out. The upstairs (if you have one?) will get the hottest. If you do have bedrooms up there, the kids might prefer to sleep on the floor downstairs if it's cooler.
If it gets unbearably hot, put on coconut lotion, light a tropical scented candle, and play some Bob Marley. (As someone without a/c, I'm not kidding - this fixes everything. The addition of tropical drinks is a plus.)
|
|
|
Post by birdy on Jul 23, 2015 22:07:36 GMT
Teens are resilient! We didn't have air when I was growing up and the summer after my senior year, it was 90+ for 20 days straight! We survived! Position your fans to make a draft through your bedrooms... we put one in our room sucking the night air in, one in the hallway so it's pulling the cool air into the hallway and one in each kid's bedroom window blowing out so that it's sucking that cool air through their room. You just have to play with positioning to get it right. I'm spoiled now with air and don't think I could handle not having it at all... how did we do it as a kid?! Hope it gets installed quickly for you and that you can stay comfy!
|
|
ellen
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,504
Jun 30, 2014 12:52:45 GMT
|
Post by ellen on Jul 23, 2015 22:14:44 GMT
When we were kids my mom always took us to the lake on hot, hot days. Run your fans, drink a lot of water, sleep with just a sheet over you. Take a shower to cool off before you go to bed.
|
|
|
Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Jul 23, 2015 22:32:13 GMT
Sorry to hear you lost your A/C. When I was a kid we didn't have a/c we kept blocks of ice in our freezer. Got a big pan and put block of ice in pan in front of a large powerful fan. This only does good if you are in the same room.
Keep all windows and curtains closed during the day. turn on fans as soon as you get up in the morning. keep them going all day and night. put the ice in front of the fan when you are going to be sitting close to it.
keep tvs off as much as possible because the make a lot of heat. don't cook. or cook outside if possible. open windows and doors after dark so that you get the cooler air coming in the house. make sure you close them in the morning so that the heat doesn't start coming in.
good luck. Hopefully you are not without your a/c for very long.
|
|
|
Post by mztfied on Jul 23, 2015 22:44:26 GMT
My AC quit 3 years ago and I have not had it replaced. If I did I would not be able to afford to run it so I make do.
I use fans and the ice in front of it helps some.
My best tip is this: If I am feeling really hot I put my feet in a bucket of cold water. Amazing how good that feels.
Be sure you and your family are drinking lots of water.
If it gets to 100 I head for the shopping center which is an official "cooling center" for seniors. I always have books to read, letters to write or others there to visit with.
|
|
|
Post by Basket1lady on Jul 23, 2015 22:46:17 GMT
This was just us. The AC went out on Sunday and was replaced yesterday. So hopefully your parts will come in quickly. If it had been a week for us, I would have definitely bought an AC window unit. A cheap one goes for $200 and I'm sure you could resell it on Craigslist.
We slept in the basement. It was almost 15 degrees cooler down there (never went above 80--it was 96 in our bedroom Tuesday night.). We had fans blowing on us and it was tolerable. I didn't cook at all. Sandwiches or cereal was the menu. We went to the movies one day, grocery shopping and doctors appts another day. We had planned the mall for today, but the AC was fixed by last night. We didn't do much around the house at all.
We talked about how many do not have AC, how so many live like this all summer. We tried to look at it as a 24 hour fast like the kids do for youth group during lent. Except ours was for 3 nights.
|
|
|
Post by christine58 on Jul 23, 2015 23:02:18 GMT
I just got confirmation the a/c has bit the dust. We will be without a/c for one week. It will be in the 90's for the next few days. Does anyone have an tips? I feel like I'm being such a baby about this. I realize that there are plenty people who have no a/c and manage just fine. I should just suck it up for the next week and deal with it. We have ceiling fans in every room, and I went out and bought a couple box fans to place in the bedrooms so we would have 2 fans blowing at night. Anyone else have any other tips? If it's really bad..turn the fan around in the window to suck out the hot air. I have a small one that goes in my window and it's awesome
|
|
CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 3,827
Jun 26, 2014 12:56:40 GMT
|
Post by CeeScraps on Jul 23, 2015 23:14:46 GMT
Does the fan on your ac/furnace still work? If so turn it on. It will circulate the air in your home. That is a tip to help anyone keep cool throughout the summer. It tends to keep the air from running all the time.
Yes, if you have a basement sleep there. Years ago we had a drought and during the summer days it was up into the 100's. I set up my day down there. I had a small tv, brought water and the dogs down. We did not go upstairs until I had to figure out dinner. Oh, and that year the home we lived in was on a well. All of our meals were served on paper plates and used plastic wear. It was cheaper to do that than dig a deeper well as we were just married and had just bought the house!
At night...we had ceiling fans and slept on a water bed. We learned quickly that if we turned the temp down on the bed (below body temp) it kept us cool. So, from that time on during the summer our bed was always turned down!
|
|
katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
|
Post by katybee on Jul 23, 2015 23:24:33 GMT
Do not use your stove or oven. Especially not your oven. Eat all cold stuff, or just use the microwave.
|
|
|
Post by pierogi on Jul 23, 2015 23:40:02 GMT
Does it cool down at night? If so, get the windows wide open and the fans running. Then, early in the morning, shut the windows tight and close the shades to hold the cooler air inside the best you can.
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Jul 23, 2015 23:43:40 GMT
I think it depends on where you live; if it happened where we live, my tip would be to find a pet-friendly hotel, because no way could we stay in our house for a week without A/C. But that's just me... good luck staying comfortable!
ETA: and I think the window unit would be a good solution only if your house is smallish, or isn't open plan. Our house is both open plan, and large (2500 square feet), and two story. Putting a window air conditioning unit in our house would be pointless, I think- it would probably burn itself out and not really do any meaningful cooling.
|
|
|
Post by padresfan619 on Jul 23, 2015 23:51:12 GMT
I have never had AC in a living situation except for in college, I survive every summer. The most important thing is to keep hydrated with cold water. If you have long hair, keep it pulled back. I disagree with the advice to take a cool shower because whenever I do that, I feel like after I get out of the shower my body decides it has gotten too cold and my core temperature goes up. I do not take as hot of showers as a normally would, but they still are warm showers. Wake up early in the morning, and I mean early, to open up all of your windows to bring in any cool air that has come in after the sun has gone down. Place a box fan in front of the window and suck in all of the cold air. Before it has a chance to warm up, close your windows and doors, as well as any curtains and blinds. I do this every day in summer and when I walk in my house after being out it feels like AC is running.
If you have any gel ice packs, stick those in the freezer and keep them on hand at the warmest time of day. An ice pack on the back of the neck will do wonders. I also keep aloe vera gel in my fridge and will apply it to the insides of my wrists when I feel hot. At night, turn your bed down and point a fan at your mattress. Even on the hottest nights I need a light sheet to feel some weight on me while I sleep. Wear thin cotton shorts and shirts to bed.
|
|
|
Post by meridon on Jul 23, 2015 23:55:35 GMT
I think it depends on where you live; if it happened where we live, my tip would be to find a pet-friendly hotel, because no way could we stay in our house for a week without A/C. But that's just me... good luck staying comfortable! ETA: and I think the window unit would be a good solution only if your house is smallish, or isn't open plan. Our house is both open plan, and large (2500 square feet), and two story. Putting a window air conditioning unit in our house would be pointless, I think- it would probably burn itself out and not really do any meaningful cooling. I meant for use in one room, probably a bedroom so there was a place to go to cool off periodically and a cool place for everyone to sleep at night. Of course there's no way a cheap window unit could replace a whole-house size unit. This is what my grandparents did--there was one window unit in the whole house and we would take a nap in the hottest part of the day and sleep in there at night.
|
|
|
Post by wholarmor on Jul 24, 2015 0:01:02 GMT
Get those cooling bandana neck wraps. You soak them in water, and the water crystals fill up and keep cool for a while. We put them in the fridge so they are extra cool. You can get them at WalMart for $5.
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Jul 24, 2015 0:01:19 GMT
that would work, I guess-- I was envisioning putting it in one of the living spaces, like I had in my first house (which was only 800 square feet); quite a bit different than the house we're living in now.
I agree wholeheartedly with 'keep the blinds or drapes closed during the day' and don't use the oven at all.
|
|
|
Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Jul 24, 2015 0:08:24 GMT
After spending countless days outside watching soccer tournaments in extreme heat, I've come to love the Frog Tog. It really cools your body down. Frog TogI am sorry for the hijack, but I would like to ask whether that feels wet on your neck or makes your clothes wet? The only thing I hate more than feeling hot is feeling hot and wet, so I am curious.
|
|
akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
|
Post by akathy on Jul 24, 2015 0:13:04 GMT
Move into an extended stay hotel? LOL I'm only half kidding. That's exactly what we would be doing - no kidding! DH is extremely hot natured and wouldn't be a pleasant person to live with if there was no a/c. Me too!
|
|
|
Post by myshelly on Jul 24, 2015 0:22:21 GMT
After spending countless days outside watching soccer tournaments in extreme heat, I've come to love the Frog Tog. It really cools your body down. Frog TogI am sorry for the hijack, but I would like to ask whether that feels wet on your neck or makes your clothes wet? The only thing I hate more than feeling hot is feeling hot and wet, so I am curious. I love Frog Togs and we use them frequently, but yes, it feels wet and yes it gets your clothes wet.
|
|