If You Can't Beat the Heat Outside, Turn Off the AC8/16/16 3:00pmYou’re not going to like this, but your air-conditioner is actually making it harder for your body to handle the heat outside. If you want to feel more comfortable outdoors during the hot summer months, you need to cut back on your AC use.Avoid Closing Too Many Air Vents to Keep Your AC Running Efficiently7/26/16 5:30amWith summer in full swing, you’re probably trying to get the most you can out of your AC. If you want to maximize your AC’s performance, don’t close too many air vents and ruin your home’s airflow.Top 10 Ways to Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning6/25/16 8:00amWhether you just don’t have air conditioning, don’t want to fire it up just yet, or want to save money on energy, there are lots of ways to keep cool as the mercury rises. Here are some good ones.Make Sure You Clean Your Window Air Conditioner Before Warm Weather Hits3/25/15 5:00am Spring has officially sprung, and while many of us are still in the throes of winter weather, others are starting to prep for warmer weather.

If you have a window air conditioner, that means take a little time to get it clean and running well.Cover Your Air Conditioner With Plywood to Protect It For the Winter11/09/14 1:00pmWhen the weather gets cooler, it's time to turn off the air conditioners. AC units need protection from leaves and other debris, though. Instead of an expensive cover, a piece of plywood does the trick.Make a Small Air Conditioner Out of an Ice Bucket8/28/14 5:30amThere are still a few sweltering days of summer left, and if you're looking for a cool breeze without the expense of an actual air conditioning unit here's a way to use a bucket and some ice to cool down an entire room.Check Your Air Conditioner's Efficiency with a Thermometer6/27/14 11:30amCooling (and heating) your home is one of the most costly portions of your energy bill. The Family Handyman has a tip for ensuring your air conditioner works as efficiently as possible.Override Your Hotel Room Thermostat and Set It As Hot or Cold You Like11/12/13 4:30amHotel room thermometers normally don't let you adjust the temperature above or below a certain point, which can lead to some pretty warm rooms in the summer time or chilly ones in the winter.

If you want more control, here's how to override your hotel thermometer, put it in "VIP" mode, and tweak it where you like it.No Central AC, No Problem: Six Ways to Keep Your Home Cool All Summer7/10/13 6:00amWindow air conditioners or central air aren't the only ways to cool down a hot house. how to determine the size of hvac unitCheck out these alternative solutions from the team at The Family Handyman. does a window ac unit have to be tiltedCool A Small Room or Tent with this Portable Air Conditioner5/05/13 12:00pmIf you're going camping, or just want to cool a small room down without running the actual air conditioner, this DIY portable unit can get the job done.how to tell what ton ac unit you needWhat's the Best Kind of Air Conditioner for My Home?5/01/13 10:00amDear Lifehacker,It just got sunny in Seattle and no one here has a real air conditioner.

What's the most effective air conditioner I can use for an apartment?Automate Your Window Blinds with an Arduino4/27/13 3:00pmSummer is just around the corner, and managing your window blinds is an important step to keeping your house cool and lowering your energy bill. If you don’t want to be bothered to get out of your chair, you can automate the blinds with an Arduino.What Air Conditioning Alternatives Have You Used That Actually Work?4/27/13 7:00amAir 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 to Avoid the Greenhouse Effect in Your Home8/10/12 2:00pm Glass is a godsend, allowing us to experience the outdoors without being exposed to the elements. But the material has one major pitfall: glass stretches out sunlight and turns it into heat. You know that if you've ever been stuck in a parked car exposed to direct sunlight. You also know it if you've got a greenhouse…

What to Look For in an Air Conditioner6/22/12 3:00pmIf you've been feeling the heat a bit too much this summer, friends at the Wirecutter have put together a guide for finding the perfect air conditioner, so you can keep cool and comfortable this year. Recharge Your Car's Air Conditioner7/16/09 7:00amIf you have a car that isn't showroom fresh anymore, there's also a good chance it's lost a little of its air conditioning mojo. Get things icy cool again with this simple fix.Give Your Air Conditioner a Check Up7/15/09 6:30amModern air conditioning units are quite dependable and long lived, but that doesn't mean you can install one and forget about it. If you've never given your air conditioner a checkup, now's the time.Hang a Damp Towel to Cool a Hot House7/13/09 7:00amIf the air in your house is hotter and more humid than it is outside, you don't have to crank up the air conditioning. A damp towel, as suggested by a Death Valley park ranger, can even things out.Limit Exhaust Fan Usage to Cut Down on Your Air Conditioning Bill7/07/09 11:00amClick to viewTemperatures are soaring and, if you use an air conditioner, odds are so is your energy bill.

Here are some quick tips on how to use your A/C unit without burning a hole through your pocket.Ditch Your Temperature-Only Thermostat and Other Cheap Ways To Stay Cool6/23/09 4:30pmSummer weather makes going outside fun, but too much heat can be hazardous to your body and bank account. Fortunately Gizmodo has laid out some tips for how to keep cool without going broke. Get Rid Of Spiders How To Get Rid Of Brown Recluse Spiders Brown Recluse Spiders Stay Hidden The reclusive nature of a brown recluse spider seeks hiding places and shelter. Getting rid of Brown Recluse spiders will require understanding this reclusive behavior. Brown recluse spiders are one of the two venomous spiders in North America, the other being the Black Widow that can inflict a dangerous bite. Eliminate Favorable Condions: Get rid of Brown Recluse spiders by first eliminating the favorable conditions of their hiding areas. Inspect and Clean: Inspect for brown recluse spiders and either vacuum them or spray them with a contact aerosol like Zenprox Aerosol or CB 80.

Zenprox will quickly kill them and stay active for a period of time. Insecticide Sprays and Dust: We suggest using a residual insecticide as a perimeter spray such a Suspend Poly Zone, LambdaStar UltraCap 9.7, Cyper WSP or Onslaught to remove as many insects as possible that would enter your home and serve as food sources for these spiders. You can also spray this inside on baseboards, in corners, under furniture and other areas where they are running. Just spraying these residual insecticides is not enough of a treatment, however. It needs to be accompanied by inspection, cleaning and dusting. We have a kit with Suspend Polyzone and Zenprox Aerosol head in one kit called the Residential Spider Kit. Use the Suspend Polyzone outside (it may be sprayed inside as well) and the Zenprox Aerosol with its crack and crevice tip is used to spray into hiding places where the liquid can not reach. Important: It is important to inspect, clean and exclude as much as possible and use a residual insecticide dust like D-Fense Dust.

Use D-Fense Dust in all of their hiding places discussed below, such as wall voids, light switch plates, behind baseboards. This dust will stay in place 6 months to a year. There are several hand held dusters that can be used with insecticide dusts. Outside: Besides spraying the perimeter, dust in voids, openings and cracks and crevices found on the exterior of the buiding. Dust any cracks and crevices with D-Fense Dust before sealing the openings. Read further spider control procedures outlined at Get Rid Of Spiders. Inspection and Exclusion of Brown Recluse Spiders Make sure to wear long sleeves and gloves during inspection. Always wear long sleeves shirts and gloves when you inspect for Brown Recluse Spiders. Since they stay in recessed and hidden areas, use a flashlight. They may be found in cluttered basements or closets. Brown recluse spiders are found in dark recesses, inhabiting stored clothing, old shoes, toys, books, boxes, furniture, stored linens and undisturbed towels, sheds,ect.

They can take shelter under furniture, appliances and carpets, behind baseboards and door facings, or in corners and crevices. Look for cobwebs, particulary around clutter, under insulation, inside wall voids. Their webs are irregular and loose and only used during the day for holding eggs. Their webs are hidden and used for retreats. It is made of silk spun in a recessed or hidden area such behind a mirror or wall void. They do not have their webs in open areas. The Brown Recluse is a hunting type of spider and not a web-hanging spider. They don't use webs for hunting and capturing food. These spiders wander at night and hunt for their prey. Their diet consists of other insects such as cockroaches and small insects. Many times, if you see a web hung on a ceiling, along walls, around shrubs, etc., they belong to another type of spider. Eliminate outside locations for brown recluse spiders: They may be found in storage houses or buildings where items are stored. Brown recluse spiders may be found in sheltered corners among debris, wood piles, piles of rocks, logs, debris,leaves and under loose bark or stones.

Inspect and clean inside locations for brown recluse spiders: They are usually found indoors, in bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, garages, basements and cellars. Brown Recluse spiders may be found in areas with forced hot air heating and air conditioning and often above-ceiling duct work, and can be found harboring in or around the duct work or registers. Seal cracks and crevices: As much as possible, seal openings, crack and crevices in and around your home. Look for cracks and crevices in window sills, cables, wires, around pipes and door thresholds. Brown Recluse Spider - Regions Brown Recluse spiders can be found in the southern, western and mid western United States, especially Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Missouri. Brown recluse spiders are very adaptable and may be active in temperatures ranging from 45 to 110 degrees F. Brown Recluse spiders are also known as, fiddleback spiders violin spiders, and recluse spiders.

The female lays eggs in off-white silken cases, from May through August. Females can lay 300 eggs in her lifetime. Spiderlings emerge in 24-36 days leaving the egg case with slow development( 10-12 months), and are influenced by weather conditions and food availability. They reach maturity in 10-12 months. These spiders can survive as long as two years without available food or water. Brown Recluses - Avoidance Tips The brown recluse spider will only bite when disturbed in their secluded spot. This could occur under furniture or beds. It would be wise to shake out your clothing and shoes before dressing. Inspect items before using. If the brown recluse infestation is heavy, seal clothing items and shoes in plastic bags. Don't garden, handle firewood, pine straw, etc, without gloves. Try to keep doors and windows screened and shut. Minimize light from the outside. Lights attract insects, and the insects attract the spiders. Remove beds from walls and curtaints, keeping bedspreads and bed skirts from touching the floor.

Lighten Up a room or let sun into the house. Keep children and pets off of the floor away from dark cluttered areas. Inspect bedding before getting into bed. Eliminate as much clutter as possible in storage areas and frequently dust and vacuum around windows, corners of rooms, and under furniture. Dust and vacuum thoroughly to remove dead insects, spiders, webs, and egg sacs. Since brown recluse spiders stay hidden during the daytime hours in boxes, in furniture and other stored items, they can be easily transported. How to Identify Brown Recluse Spiders Brown recluse spider adults are soft-bodies, yellowish-tan to dark brown,uniform color.most spiders have 8 eyes The adult body varies from 1/3-to 1/2 inch in length. With the legs it can be an overall size of 1 inch diameter or greater(Body not more than 1/2"). No spines on legs with long thin legs that are uniformly colored. If the body is a different color than the legs, or if the legs have different colors, it is not a Brown Recluse spider.

If there are more than one color on the abdomen, it is not a Brown Recluse Brown Recluse spiders have only fine hairs; if they have thick spines on their legs, they are not recluses. The brown recluse spider has a distinctive darker brown violin-shaped mark, with the neck of the violin pointing towards the abdomen Tail end has no markings. Brown Recluse Spider Bites People commonly get brown recluse spider bites in areas that the spiders had been hidiing in shoes, stored towels, the old work shirt in the shed, etc. It is very common to get a brown recluse spider bite when you are changing clothes, putting your hands into a pocket, or putting on shoes. The brown recluse spider had crawled in there at some time to take shelter. The Brown Recluse commonly bites when it is disturbed by being squeezed. The initial pain with the brown recluse spider bites is not intense, unless there is a severe reaction. Within 8 to 12 hours the pain from the brown recluse spider bite becomes intense.