When the weather starts to warm up, instead of turning on your air conditioner, put a small fan in front of an opened window. It will cool down your house about 10 degrees, especially at night. It saves me on my electric bill and I am a lot cooler too.
By debra whittaker from Nahunta, Georgia
I do the same thing! Actually I put 2 20" box fans in each room that's occupied. One is put in a window that does not get the afternoon sun blowing into the house. The other is put in a window on the opposite side of the room blowing out. This way it creates a draft and the out-blowing fan pulls the air through. I do this and many times it's brought my indoor temps down by more than 20 degrees! I rarely have to turn the a/c on, even living here in southeast NC where the temps (like at your house) run 90s and 100s in the summer. (03/31/2010)
By Cricket
I also use the oscillating fans in the hallway to keep the whole breeze going through the second floor. (04/01/2010)
By Allison
We also use the strategy of some fans blowing in, others out. I also saw a TF post awhile back that said if you wet a towel and fasten it to an in-blowing fan (perhaps with spring-loaded clothespins), the air current passing over/through the damp towel will cool the air more. That's something I intend to try this summer. Although if you're already in a humid place like SC, this might not work as well. (04/05/2010)
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