• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Any "CHEAP" way to cool a 2 story house in the summer?

B

Blayze

Diamond Member
ok our AC unit is gone, and we don't have the money to fix it.

My dad has been out of work with a hurt back this year, and money is beyond "tight" for the family.

I was wondering what is a good way to cool our house using fans, etc...
without spending tons of $$$. I guess you could classify us as "poor" this summer, because we are barely making ends meet 🙁

anyway our downstairs is gettin up to 87F, etc... during the day and who knows how hot it is in here with the computer. I know August is going to bring hotter temps, and we need to find away to bring down the temps, etc... if we can
 
An indoor fountain is a marvelous cooling method.

No indoor fountain (me neither)? Run some fans over large surface areas of water for a cooling effect.

How about renting a window unit for the upstairs bedroom?
 
Have a window fan or fans blow air OUT of the house on the top floor. Leave a few windows open on the ground floor on the shady side of the house.

This is about as good as you can do.
 
thanks Mwilding
that is currently what we are doing, but we have the upstairs fans blowing air into the house :Q
maybe we can cool it better if we turn them around.
 
Sorry to hear of your situation; I hope things get better. The water cooling effect is a very good suggestion. Unfortunately though, when you have a situation like yours, the best thing you can do is to have lots of airflow. Think of your house as a giant computer case. You'd be best served by having some big window fans. Some sucking in some blowing out. Also, keep the shades drawn and the blinds closed during the day. Keep the sun out and you'll keep a great deal of heat out.

I can sympathize w/you. I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in NYC with my Mom, Dad and brother. We had ONE fan. NY summers do get into the 90's and low 100's. I don't know how I survived. I remember those nights very well...no fan in the bedroom and four people sleeping in there. I wish you luck.
 
Living in NC kinda screws any chance of using water evaporation to cool your house. With the high humidity, it's actually counter productive. I tell people about how, when I was gowing up, we used to have swamp coolers on many of the houses in CA. They look at me like I'm a nut and say, "what the hell is a swamp cooler?"
 


<< thanks Mwilding
that is currently what we are doing, but we have the upstairs fans blowing air into the house :Q
maybe we can cool it better if we turn them around. >>



During the day, have the upstairs window fans blowing out. In the evening, reverse them to blow cool air directly into your bedrooms.
 
Get the kind of window fans that has 2 fans in it, one to blow air out and one to blow air in. Make sure you place all your fans so that you have a good breeze going throught out the house.

Keep cold drinks handy and a cool bath or shower does wonders to keep cool.
 
yeah I hope everything gets better. Dad has already had one surgery on his back, but it didn't help much. He still has 2 disks in his back that are messed up pretty bad. I think they are going to do surgery again this month. And they said if this surgery went well he would be back to normal in 8 to 10 weeks. I wish him the best, cause I know he has had a hell of a year with this.


Anyway thanks for the suggestions guys 😀
 
yeah the humidity in NC was down yesterday and it felt 25 degrees cooler, although it was only about 10
 


<< yeah invite my ex-wife over that frigid bitch could cool-off the north-pole >>



LOL

thanks I needed a good laugh today
 
At attic fan.

About $100 or so at Sears. You can install it yourself. It sits between the living space of the house and the attic. You open all the windows, and it sucks air from the house and vents it through the attic. During cool, still nights, it rocks.
 
Spend time in the basement. It is usually cool there. Lots of airflow and doesn't hurt to set a fan up next to your bed for sleeping.

Get your dad a window unit. A small costs around $150 or so and can cool off a small room nicely.
 
You may not like this suggestion, but your local community might have a program that supplies air conditioning units to those in need during the summer. I live in Tulsa, OK, and they have a few programs that give out units to the elderly, others in need, etc.. Everyone goes through hard times, so there's no shame in doing it. It would be tragic if someone in your family were to have a heat stroke or something.
 
Descartes
that is actually a good ideal, although I don't think our community has a program like that.

My uncle and dad are currently trying to sale a house they got when my grandparents died. I guess we could always go down to the other house and fire up their AC if everything else falls through.

we have also filed for help from the local heating and air companies, but all that stuff never worked out.
 
try those dark window screens if the sun is shining in too much... personal cooling is the easiest - just have desk fans where you sit/sleep...
 
Blayze, if you live in an area where it gets hot enough in summer to be a threat to your health, perhaps it's time to contact charities and ask for help.

Yes, this is a big blow to the ego. But please, sacrifice your ego before you sacrifice your health.

You're in the thoughts and prayers of the forum members.
 
Nevo, thanks

I really hate this has turned into a thread about our money issues. Some of my friends have even offered to let me stay at their place, etc... to beat the heat.

But I always end up staying here, because I feel bad that my parents have to sit through this.
Anyway I personally would be calling trying to get financial help, etc... but my dad doesn't want to do that at this time.

It just amazes me at how within 1 year everything you know changes. If anything has come out of this it has made me be thankful for what I do have, etc...

I could be worse, I guess.
 
i don't know about cheap home cooling solutions, but as far as cheap personal cooling solutions -how about icepacks? throw some icecubes in a ziplock sandwich bag, and keep the bag on the back of your neck to keep cool. i love doing that when i come in from the heat - i usually don't use a bag, but that would keep you from getting soaked. plus, frozen water is free, just buy some extra ice trays. good luck bro.
 
I take it that the outdoor/condenser unit is blasted. Do you have a basement? Is the forced air/evaporator unit down there? Here?s what I did when the condenser (outdoor) unit was out in my rented townhouse. I blinded/covered all of the south facing windows and kept them closed all day. I only opened the windows at night. Then I turned the furnace fan on to ?continuous.? I took the front fan cover off the furnace so that it would blow the cooler basement air throughout the whole house.

They had like 25 AC units go out that summer and I was number 20 on the list, so I was waiting for awhile. When I told the head maintenance supervisor what I was doing, he was like, ?Hey, that?s a pretty good idea!?
 
yeah the outdoor unit is whats busted
but when we flip the fan on it blows the breaker downstairs in the basement 🙁

all of our air stuff is in the attic not basement. I have no ideal why, stupid development house I guess.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top