Tips for a cooler house. FYI

• Block the Sun: put up curtains or a blanket to keep the sun out of rooms and reduce heat by 45%. You could also hang a damp sheet up on the window to make incoming air cooler as it blows in (if the air outside is dry and cooler than inside).

• A Cooler Fan: place a bowl of ice in front of your box fan to circulate air with a cooler breeze.

• Seal it Up: keep windows and doors shut as much as possible when outside air is hotter than inside air. If you have a fireplace, make sure the damper is closed because otherwise it will suck hot air from outside into the home.

• Strategic Fanning: if your house is hotter than outside, turn your fans around to blow hot air out of the window.

• Internal Heat Sources: change to CFL lights to give off up to 70% less heat. Also, consider using the oven less and power down electrical appliances at night to reduce heat. Invest in a camper cooker and cook outside as much as possible.

• Food and Drink to Cool You: eat lighter during the summer. Try more fruits and vegetables as opposed to hamburgers and such. Lighter foods are easier to digest. Also, drink more tap water to cool down the inner core of your own body. Stay away from drinks with lots of sugar and caffeine that  will dehydrate you.

Keep your air condition filters clean.  use the lifetime filters. They have a high initial cost but it will save you money in the long run. clean  out at least once a week. Also, have your coils cleaned at least once a year if not once every six months.  clean mine every six months because proper air flow determines your systems ability to transfer heat to and from your coolant. It is as important as a proper freeon charge.   Change the filters in your heating/cooling system at least once a month. Change your thermostat over to "cool" and test the system by turning down the temperature. If there is a problem that you can't figure out, call a heating and air-conditioning repair person. Calling early may save you from making that "emergency call" when you're dying of heat mid-summer and the cost of busy repair people is sky high.

• Consider replacing your old thermostat with a new, set-back programmable one. This move could save you $100 a year.

• Consider installing a whole-house fan that pulls in cool air and dispels warm air. At night, open  some windows for a cross breeze.  Might sure they are not wide enough for a small adult or child to crawl in and that the windows have a secure key lock.  A door chain link with key lock works great.

Circulate Basement Air For Cooling The basement is always ten degrees cooler in the summer. Built a nest for yourself in the basement to take advantage of that ten degrees. Run the furnace FAN to circulate the cool air in the basement through the street level of the house. Use ceiling fans in the hallways (there is a short blade ceiling fan available for close spaces) to drive the warm air down both summer and winter. The furnace/air conditioner will not have to work as hard to maintain the chosen temperature.