What Air Conditioning Alternatives Have You Used That Actually Work?4/27/13 7:00am Air conditioners keep your house cool, but they drive your electric bill up pretty fast. We've seen a handful of DIY alternatives but want to know what works best for you. How do you stay cool in the summer? Do you utilize natural methods? Stick a bowl of ice in front of a fan? Photo by Jeremy T. Hetzel.9 air conditioning alternatives Monday, May 2 nd 2016 It's a safe bet that you have an air conditioner -- according to the U.S. Department of Energy, two-thirds of homes have air conditioning units, and we spend more than $11 billion each year to run them. In fact, a full five percent of all electricity in the United States goes to keeping us cool. That number won't surprise homeowners, who are accustomed to seeing their utility bills go up the moment they turn on the air conditioner. What if you could get some of that money back this summer? Read more: 4 essential home maintenance jobs for spring

How to live without air conditioning Life without air conditioning is entirely possible, and can be quite comfortable. It's a matter of planning ahead, using the natural resources you have at your disposal and getting creative when things heat up. ac unit not draining waterHere are a few great ways to keep your cool and save serious cash as summer ramps up.thru-the-wall air conditioner best buyIt sounds simple, but the idea of funneling cool air through your home requires a bit more thought than just throwing open a window or two. ac window unit ratingsStart by paying attention to the direction the wind is blowing, and open up a window that will take a direct hit of that cool air. Then open another window on the opposite side of the room to create that funnel effect.

Opening it up can create a 'chimney effect' that pulls air up and out, resulting in a constant breeze.To get more of that air in the house, use a window fan. An oscillating fan near the window will work as well. Ceiling fans are great if you have them; make sure they are turning counterclockwise during the summer for the greatest benefit.When the sun beats down, close the curtains to prevent the heat from radiating into your home and increasing the temperature. Follow the sun through the day and close the curtains of windows that take a direct hit, and open up the others to provide more indirect light with less heat. For even more savings, invest in heavy drapes.Summer is the perfect time to use the slow cooker instead of the oven, or head outside to grill rather than using the stove burners. Not only do these appliances help prevent heat buildup, they force you to get more creative with meals -- a win-win situation for anyone who loves to cook. Buy (or create) an evaporative cooler.

If you live in an area of low humidity, look into an evaporative cooler -- they cost about half of what a typical air conditioning unit does, and use only a quarter of the energy. Still too rich for your budget? Make a simple 'swamp cooler' by placing a block of ice in a bowl and positioning the bowl in front of a fan. It's a temporary set-up for those impossibly hot days. Plan for the future. For serious money savings, install awnings on the windows that take on the most sun, invest in UV-fighting coatings on the windows, and plant trees that will eventually tower over your home and block the sun. Cooling the house down is great, but cooling down the body can make you even more comfortable. Here's how to make that happen without spending too much cash. Cool from the inside out. Cooling the individual might be more helpful than cooling the room. Have plenty of water and ice on hand at all times, and let the kids (and adults!) indulge in popsicles, frozen juice bars and the like.

Stay cool at night. Most people enjoy sleeping in a room that is a little on the cool side; that's almost impossible when you are choosing not to use the air conditioning. However, there are a few tricks to try. Start by putting your sheets and pillowcases in the refrigerator for an hour or so before bed -- you will slip into cool sheets. You can also use the old pulse point trick: wrap an ice pack in a washcloth and place it against your wrist, the side of your neck or the bend of your knee. It will make your whole body feel cooler. Play in the water. When things get too hot to stand, head outside. Wash the car, fill up the kiddie pool, get out the slip-and-slide and splash to your heart's content. If you choose to stay inside, take a cool shower to lower your body temperature and make the heat more tolerable. These ideas can help a great deal, but you might not want to part with your air conditioning unit just yet. Instead, make sure it's quite energy-efficient and always up-to-date on maintenance.

Take the time to seal up the house with good weather-stripping, too. When you do break down and turn on the air conditioning, you can rest assured that it's using as little energy as possible to create that blissfully cool breeze. Read more: 19 spring home improvements on a shoestringIf you don't have an air conditioner and can't take the heat (or you just don't feel like running yours), here are five DIY ideas to stay cool this summer. If you don't have an air conditioner, hopefully you have a fan. On its own, however, a fan isn't always sufficiently cooling. If your home is a hot air trap, blowing that hot air around isn't going to help much. Instead of just running the fan and hoping for the best, take a shallow bowl and fill it with ice. Place the bowl in front of the fan and as the ice evaporates, it will cool the air.If it isn't hotter outside than it is in your home, you've probably cracked a window already to at least cool things down a little bit. If you're finding an open window isn't sufficient, spray a sheet with cold water and use it to cover the window's opening.

As the breeze passes through, the cold and damp sheet will cool it bringing in chilled air and further helping to reduce the temperature in your home.If all you have are windows to work with, you can still use them to your advantage. While the difference is more significant in arid environments, the temperature outdoors cools at night, and that's the air you want to let into your home. If you keep your windows closed while the sun is up and open them while the sun is down, you can trap the cooler air in your home and keep the temperature a few degrees lower. Even better: Set up a couple of inexpensive box fans in windows on opposite sides of a room to create a nice through-breeze.Much of the heat in your home comes from heat-generating sources within it. If you avoid generating large amounts of heat you won't have as much of a need to cool. Things like air drying your clothes, skipping the dry cycle on your dishwasher and turning off your computer(s) when they aren't in use are all good ways to keep the temperature down.