Low/no power air conditioning techniques

I live in the deep south. It get so hot that towards the end of summer, we appreciate days in the low 80s. So for us, air conditioning isnt a matter of comfort, it's of survival. There have been a few times that I worked too hard in the hot summer sun, and almost got heat stroke. A cold shower & the A/C is the only thing that kept me from passing out.

So does anyone know any ideas or techniques to cool a house without using the A/C??

Look into Peltier semiconductors- they can be made to heat on one side, cool on the other AND produce electricity. Add some 12 volt computer fans, and mebbe.....?

reply to post by rocketman70433


Paint the outside of your house white as well as the roof...white reflects 95% of the suns rays. Also, a good wall insulation helps as well as attic fans.

Originally posted by wylekat
Look into Peltier semiconductors- they can be made to heat on one side, cool on the other AND produce electricity. Add some 12 volt computer fans, and mebbe.....?

Peltiers are an awful choice for replacing air conditioners. They are less efficient than AC and they produce lots of heat about 4mm away from the cold side.


The OP needs to research natural air conditioning methods. Evaporative coolers and air mist systems are probably your best bet. Both of these work the same in that they evaporate water to remove heat from the air but they work best in drier climates.

reply to post by rangersdad


Also, the titanium heat blankets, or even plain old aluminum foil. Staple this stuff on the underside of your roof rafters where it does not make contact with anything on the underside. IT won't conduct heat, so it cools your attic and in turn cools your home.

Also, a sprinkler on your roof, especially in the hot afternoon can do a lot of good.

I also built a sun shade over my a/c unit to help it be more efficient, but you have to be careful to not restrict the airflow.

Dig a nice deep hole to hang out in in the basement...

I have read that in parts of central Mexico, traditional houses are built with a central wooden post that is buried 20 feet below ground to allow for condensation to form and radiate the chill relative chill from that depth. It should be around 68 degrees year round like a cave is.

Fill a large bowl or plastic container with ice, or fill the large plastic container with water and freeze. Then take a fan, a square floor fan works best and place it flat on top of the container of ice and butta bing. You get a nice cool breeze out of it. You could also add a 2nd fan next to it and really get the cool air circulating.

Hope that helps.

Originally posted by alaskan
Dig a nice deep hole to hang out in in the basement...

I've seen some great ideas so far, thanks for the tips.

I definitely want to look into low or no power options. We dont have solar panels, and I wont be able to justify to my parents putting a bunch of stuff up in the backyard, "just in case."

Originally posted by alaskan
Dig a nice deep hole to hang out in in the basement...

Living underground or in a cave is only logical.

The earth is a natural 55 degrees so all one would have to do is have a few feet of earth on top of you.

I have never comprehended why people who live where there are bad storms and tornadoes would live in stick built home perched on the earth instead of under the ground.

If you lived underground you could just have roll up doors that you close when the storms come plus you would have more usable land to grow grass on, that you could mow short every week for no apparent reason.

Underground is your only option in a high humidity area where you live.

In the days of yore in the dry southwest when it was brutally hot, even at night, settlers would have sleeping shelters called of all things "submarines".

They were muslin linen tents that had drip lines that wet the linen and then you had the evaporation effect.

The air temperature inside was substantially lower.

Originally posted by rocketman70433
I've seen some great ideas so far, thanks for the tips.

I definitely want to look into low or no power options. We dont have solar panels, and I wont be able to justify to my parents putting a bunch of stuff up in the backyard, "just in case."

I've been in air conditioning for 30 years and there is no real sustitute for refrigerative air conditioning.

Evaporative coolers only work in low humidity areas (desert), as previously mentioned.

So, unfortunately, your stuck with what you've got and be thankful you have one that works.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777

Originally posted by alaskan
Dig a nice deep hole to hang out in in the basement...

I wouldn't laugh too hard
it is a valid point

in the heat of summer, my dogs find
a nice shady spot and dig a hole 2-3
feet deep and lay in it to keep cool.

They also jump into a pond periodically
to keep their body temperature down.
Pigs do those very same things as well.
So animals aren't so dumb are they?

You can also buy sports hats which have
a fan and a mist producer which has a
compartment for water.

U can also use wet rags around ur neck,
it chills the body.

There are also cold packs which can be frozen
in the freezer and taken out and placed on
the skin and neck. Be sure to use a cotton rag around
them as they will stick to ur skin as a freezer burn.

My son plays baseball in the summer and we found
a new technique for the diamond. There are rags
found in sports stores that are soaked with a permanent
solvent in the rag (bandana). Drop the rag into
some water and the chemical reaction cools the rag
down to under 50 degrees. It's a neat lil thing we use
during baseball season. These are available at most
sports store that sell sports gear. I cannot recall the name
of the thing, but u can ask the clerk. The good part
about these rags is they are re-usable These are
most potent when laid on the back of the neck.

Best wishes and stay cool

reply to post by rocketman70433


Here you go. A ground-coupled heat exchanger. It's passive so it doesn't waste energy like a/c does.


en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by boondock-saint
My son plays baseball in the summer and we found
a new technique for the diamond. There are rags
found in sports stores that are soaked with a permanent
solvent in the rag (bandana). Drop the rag into
some water and the chemical reaction cools the rag
down to under 50 degrees. It's a neat lil thing we use
during baseball season. These are available at most
sports store that sell sports gear. I cannot recall the name
of the thing, but u can ask the clerk. The good part
about these rags is they are re-usable

These are
most potent when laid on the back of the neck.

Best wishes and stay cool

Cool-ties. I put one on my neck, and a cold dripping rag over my head when i cut the grass. You look like a jackass, but it's a lot better than the louisiana heat.

Originally posted by Oneolddude

Originally posted by alaskan
Dig a nice deep hole to hang out in in the basement...

Living underground or in a cave is only logical.

The earth is a natural 55 degrees so all one would have to do is have a few feet of earth on top of you.

I have never comprehended why people who live where there are bad storms and tornadoes would live in stick built home perched on the earth instead of under the ground.

If you lived underground you could just have roll up doors that you close when the storms come plus you would have more usable land to grow grass on, that you could mow short every week for no apparent reason.

Underground is your only option in a high humidity area where you live.

In the days of yore in the dry southwest when it was brutally hot, even at night, settlers would have sleeping shelters called of all things "submarines".

They were muslin linen tents that had drip lines that wet the linen and then you had the evaporation effect.

The air temperature inside was substantially lower.

Interesting idea about the tents.

Going underground isn't really an option because of the water table. The table would make coffins pop up from underground, which is why even the dead are housed above ground.

Originally posted by wylekat
Look into Peltier semiconductors- they can be made to heat on one side, cool on the other AND produce electricity. Add some 12 volt computer fans, and mebbe.....?

Peltier cooling is less efficient than conventional.

The Einstein compressor less method might work, or you can go
old school and just get 3 feet or deeper underground.

Einstein fridge

3 feet down the temp is 59 degrees year round unless your between
the poles and the permafrost line.

A good way to provide the heat source for the Einstein fridge would
be a solar thermal concentrator, you'd need a heat storage or cold storage
method for it to work after sundown.

Some ppl have done things as simple as bails of hay to provide
insulation value to barns.

Originally posted by rangersdad
reply to post by rocketman70433

 

Paint the outside of your house white as well as the roof...white reflects 95% of the suns rays. Also, a good wall insulation helps as well as attic fans.

The NASA based paint additive actual has insulation properties.

Some info on it here.

Insulating paint additive

Insulation is one of the best ways to control temp energy wise.

The wet washcloth on the neck (or Cool Ties, Love those things!) works really well. I use it daily in the heat and humidity of the Ozark summers. I've also found, if I get really overheated, adding cool wet cloth to my wrists helps. Basically, if you can your 'pulse points' cooler it helps the body lower its (it's?) temperature. Getting your feet cool also helps the blood being circulated to cool down. But by far, in my experience, getting your head wet, even though you may feel drenched already...is the most effective. Think sticking your head under the faucet.... In the winter we lose something like 70-80% of our body heat through our head and feet if they are not covered, so it kind of makes sense (to me) that in the reverse situation, being hot, cooling these areas will have a huge effect.
When I use these methods, I usually sit in the breeze, if there is one. (There usually isn't in an Ozarks heat wave.) If the air isn't moving I make a breeze myself by sitting in front of a fan or fanning myself. When your body sweats, it's the evaporation off your skin that helps you cool down. So, if you can create airflow, and the water evaporates, you are helping your body with its (it's?) natural cooling mechanism.
I know your question probably was as much about being comfortable overall in those temps as anything. These are just things I use for cool-downs when I have to be out in those extremes now.
If you are fortunate enough to be near water, remember the shallows will feel like warm soup but a little deeper can be much cooler.
Just thought I'd throw my 2cents in (even though much of it has been mentioned) as my real-life, this works for me, ideas.
Good Luck,
~prep (queen of the run-on sentence! LOL!)

random "right before I click reply" thought:

if/When stuff does hit the fan we won't be tied to the 9-5 schedule most folks have now. We will be able to wake early and work to avoid the heat of the day. Then rest during the hottest hours and not be forced to work through it. Then we can do the more physical tasks again as it cools in the evening. (Ok, I know sometimes the heat doesn't break, but when the sun starts going down at least it won't be beating down on you as you work.) At first, I realize, we may not be able to take advantage of this with the chaos that will ensue. Still, I thought it worth mentioning because I think there will be more flexibility in what work we do when once we are not tied to the 9-5 grind.
GB,
~prep

(I think this is gonna be a bad hot summer, myself, hope I'm wrong.)

edit to add:
Perhaps those of us who are trying to prepare should consider working on being less reliant on AC now? I know many folks work in offices that are air conditioned, but at home, maybe??
Even if one sets there AC at say....75, instead of 67...they are that much closer to being acclimatized. I don't use AC very often, more as a cost saving thing than a prep thing, but I know a lot of people have AC running in their homes thru the summer. If we did this now, it would be one less hardship to handle in the face of so many others when the chaos hits. Sort of a toughen and prepare sort of idea? What do yall think?
TY for reading my mini novella. LOL!

[edit on 5/26/10 by preparanoid]

I have the book "How to build your own underground home", by author Ray G. Scott.

He says that 4-5' of earth gives the ideal insulation, per costs to build the structure strong enough to hold it up. Also that 5' of earth gives about 90% of the insulation of 10'. 4' being the minimum.

He said that with 4' of earth and 10" of concrete the coldest it ever got in one of his homes was 47 degrees under frozen winter, and the highest it got was 79 degrees.

Between 30-35' underground the temperature stabilizes year round (hot or cold) at 54.5 degrees.

[edit on 27-5-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]