Acker Heating & Cooling

In the heat of the Athens, GA summer, having your air conditioner break down is the absolute worst thing that could probably happen. You’ll want to give the HVAC experts here at Acker Heating & Cooling a call right away, but in the meantime try some of these tips to keep you and yours cool.

Try Some Natural Cooling

At night, when the sun goes down, it gets colder outside. Take advantage of the cooling effects of nature and open your windows to let the breeze roll through. You’ll let the heat out and the cooler air in.

Close the windows again in the morning right before the sun rises or shortly after that. The goal is to shut the house up again before the heat starts to come in. It will keep the day’s heat from making your home too warm.

Lower your Blinds

If you have window treatments of any kind, make sure you shut them. This step keeps the heat of the sun from warming the inside of your house. Even if you close the windows, that won’t prevent all of the heat from coming in. You still need a way to block the sun.

Lower your blinds and shut the curtains to lessen the heat that will soon have your house sweltering in the midday summer sun.

Turn on a Fan

Your ceiling fan will keep your house fresh without an air conditioner, but you have to know which way it should turn. Ceiling fans have a switch on the side that allows you to reverse its direction. Flip it to rotate counter-clockwise.

Turning counter-clockwise pulls the hot air up to the ceiling and forces cooler air back down into the room. This circulates air and reduces the temperature. It also feels nice when you’re sitting directly underneath it.

Use Ice Water

When you sweat, you need to replenish your water supply frequently, so you should drink a lot of water. But here’s another cool tip. Fill a big bowl full of ice water and place it in front of strategically placed table fans.

If you don’t have a ceiling fan in your room, put a fan on a table or dresser and then put the ice water in front of it. The fan will blow cold air throughout the room. You’ll be amazed at how much it feels like a little air conditioner.

Use Towels

Run a towel under cold water and place it around your neck. You can even stick it in the freezer for a few minutes first. This measure works to cool the blood that travels through the vein in your neck. As it delivers blood to your brain, your brain will begin to tell your body it’s cold.

You will start to feel cooler almost instantly. As the towels warm up, trade them out for new ones that you have stored in the freezer.

Avoid Heat Generating Activities

When your air conditioner breaks, avoid anything that will bring extra heat into the house, including cooking in the kitchen. Switch to the outdoor grill for dinner until you get it fixed, or make some cold salads with a lot of fruit.

In summary: Wear loose clothing, utilize natural cooling strategies, avoid strenuous activity, turn on only the appliances and lights you have to have on, and call Acker Heating & Cooling right away!