Use your window AC to cool more than one room. If your home does not feature central air conditioning, it is likely some rooms of the house will be cooler than others, whether or not window air-conditioning units are used. Rather than suffering through a hot summer in rooms you utilize often, such as kitchens or den areas, take steps to pull air from cooler rooms to warmer rooms. This can be done with or without help from a window air conditioner. Floor Fans Use floor fans to move cool air from one room to another. For example, if you have a window air conditioning unit in one room but would like to cool an adjoining room, close off any entrances in the air-conditioned room except the one for the room you would like to cool. Place the floor fan in the entranceway facing the room that you wish to cool, as the fan will help pull cool air from the air-conditioned room into the other room. Attic Fans/Whole House Fans Attic fans, also called roof exhaust fans, will help keep your entire house comfortable and therefore contribute to the room you want to cool.

Your attic should be entirely sealed off from the rest of your home in order for the attic fan to be effective, so use appropriate caulks and insulating materials as needed to fix any cracks or other areas where cool air from the home can be pulled up into the hot attic. Attic fans, which usually are installed in a gable or the actual roof, keep the attic cool and subsequently allow air-conditioning units to work more effectively. Whole house fans are an option if your home does not feature an attic. Use whole house fans during the night when the outdoor temperature is colder than the temperature inside your house to cool your entire home. Install whole house fans on your house's top floor ceiling and open windows throughout your home. The fan will suck the cooler air from outside via the open windows into your house. If you do not open windows while utilizing a whole house fan, your home can become depressurized very quickly, which will result in combustion appliance back drafts, such as with gas water heaters.

Box Fans Close off all entrances except for the one that links the two rooms in use. Place a box fan in the window of the hotter room facing outward, which will pull hot air out of the room. Crack a window in the cooler room to help circulate cool air into the room you wish to cool. If the window you wish to place the box fan in does not feature a screen, use towels or other applicable materials to place on either side of the fan. Additional Tips and Ideas In addition to taking steps to pull cool air from one room into another, it is also a good idea to keep shades drawn in both rooms if possible. This will help any air-conditioning units work more efficiently and also keep both rooms cooler in general, as shades shield spaces from the hot sun. Check both rooms for potential air leaks, and plant large shrubs and bushy trees around the hotter room if possible as another, if long-term, way to insulate and cool the room. Keep as many lights off as possible as well, as the heat from lamps and light fixtures will contribute to a hotter room.

Heat-reflecting film on windows that face the sun is also an option. Houston, TX — May 3, 2016 - With summer just around the corner, Direct Energy® announces 60 Houston-area seniors will receive a new portable air conditioning unit to help combat the rising temperatures.typical cost of air conditioning unit "With our headquarters in Houston, we at Direct Energy are all too familiar with the dangerously searing heat that comes during the summer months," said Cullen Hay, General Manager of U.S. Energy, Direct Energy. how does aircon work in a car"We are so proud to work with our local One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® and Neighborhood Centers to bring some cooling relief to seniors in need. can a window ac unit be inside

Our mission is to make a difference in people's lives." This is the fourth year Direct Energy has partnered with Neighborhood Centers to help meet the rising need for air conditioning in Houston. Neighborhood Centers has identified the recipients who are currently on a fixed income and either cannot pay to have their air conditioning units repaired or replaced, or who simply do not have enough units to cool the most-used rooms in their homes. "Many of our senior neighbors don't have any or sufficient cooling in their homes which puts them at even greater risk for heat-related illnesses. We are thrilled to partner with Direct Energy and One Hour Air again to connect some of our communities most vulnerable seniors to cool air just in time for the summer," said Meggin Lorino, Director of Neighborhood Based Senior Services for Neighborhood Centers. The donated units will be delivered and professionally installed in up to 60 homes by One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating's professional certified technicians.

Several units have been delivered and installed so far, and all will be delivered by the end of May. "When we go into people's homes and install these, they are so appreciative and thankful, Trying to endure the summer heat in Houston can be not only uncomfortable but dangerous. We are happy to be able to offer them a little relief, " said Bill Fortner, Vice President of One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating. Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers with nearly five million residential and commercial customers. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. Neighborhood Centers Inc. brings resources, education and connection to nearly 600,000 people throughout Texas each year.