When it gets very hot in the summer and my central air conditioning doesn't seem to be able to get everything equally cool, instead of running extra fans in rooms where there are no ceiling fans, I use the fan setting on the central air. It circulates the air very well and makes the whole house seem cooler just the way a fan does. It costs less money to run and thus no need to turn your air down and use more electricity to cool the house.
By xintexas from San Antonio, TX
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Using Sunblocker for Kitchen Window. My kitchen gets very hot in the summer due to a large kitchen window.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Would a dehumidifier reduce air conditioning operating costs? I heard a rumor that it does reduce the power bill for air conditioning. The cost reduction is the result, both of reducing moisture and the drier air makes it more comfortable. Then we could set our thermostat for a higher temperature.
By Bella Swan from Forks, WA
We live in western NC where it is very humid and we do have a dehumidifier to take the moisture out of the air AND "it does work"! We live in an over 1200 sq ft house and our power bill is less then $30 a week and this is running our central air at 72 degrees 24/7!
What it does is make you feel more comfortable so you can set the thermostat warmer and still feel cool.
I would like to know what is more energy efficient: Using central air with ceiling fans OR using window fans with ceiling fans to cool the house. I really wonder because the central air only comes on when needed but the window fans are running constantly and are set at the highest settings. Does anyone know?
Refrigerated air conditioning is WAAAAAAAAAAY more expensive than using window/room fans. If you can be comfortable using only window fans, use them. Running a simple fan (or four), even on high uses very little electricity.
We have an air conditioner but haven't used it for a couple of years (living in California), not since we installed an attic fan. The temperature could be just over 100 degrees F outside and it would (maybe) get to 76 degrees F inside (by 7pm). Very comfortable for us.
There are several ways to help keep a desert home cooler in the summer without costly electric cooling bills. Window awnings can help, as do shades, blinds, and especially room darkening drapes. Drawing these curtains is quite effective. This is a page about cooling a home in the desert heat.
Opening the windows at night and closing the house during the day is one of a number of ways you can reduce the temperature inside your home. This is a page about how to cool your home without air conditioning.
This is a page about saving money on air conditioning. There are several strategies for saving money on air conditioners.
I have two west facing windows. Needless to say, they get hot. I also have things in my window that shouldn't get hot but have no other place to put them. I spent $1.00 and 15 minutes on a fix that hopefully will help block out some of the sun.
