KEEPIN' YOUR COOL

It is now August and the dog days of summer are upon us. That means for most of us, the heat is rising and the thermometers are mostly red. I know if its as hot in your area of the world as it is in mine then your poor little air conditioner is doing all it can to keep up. And probably failing. So, I'm here to share a few money saving, sanity saving, cool 'em down tricks I've picked up over the years.

Tip #1-Power up those fans! Setting up a fan in your room will help drastically. But to save energy only use a fan in the room you are occupying. And unless you are in a big room, you will probably only need a small fan to do the trick. It also matters where you place the fan. Hot air rises so stick that baby on a shelf if you can so the cool air falls to the floor, cooling the whole room instead of just the bottom half.

Tip #2-Use dark curtains during the hot months. Putting up dark window covers will help absorb the heat and keep it from coming in your house. Its okay to open the curtains at night or first thing in the morning before it gets too hot, but as the temperature climbs start pulling those drapes shut.

Tip #3-Take advantage of the cool hours. If you happen to live in a place where it cools down at night, then use that as your time to give you AC a break. At night before you go to bed, open up all the windows and stick a fan in them if you want. This will save a lot of money on your Electric bill. Just remember to turn your AC back on before it gets too hot so that it doesn't have a lot of catching up to do. I would not suggest doing this though if you live in a high crime area.

Tip #4-If you have a cellar, use it. Spend the hot part of the day underground and turn up the thermostat so your AC will run less. I personally have never utilized this tip, as I have never lived in a house will a cellar or basement. But I would if I could.

I hope this article finds all of you cool and dry. And just think, in another month or so it will start cooling off. In 5 months, we will all be in sweaters, complaining how cold it is! Go figure! :)