this heat wave sucks but I'm determined to learn how to use AC minimally and try other methods of staying cool first. feet in a bucket of cold water helps *a lot* when you're sitting around. sleeping is hard, though. if I can't get the bedroom temp at or below 84F I have to turn on the AC.
@joeyh wow how do you manage that? by the end of the day my house is 86-88F. we get decent shade from some large trees but things still heat up eventually.
@dthompson concrete slab 8 feet below grade on 2 sides, correct roof overhang (& grape arbors) on south side to block summer sun.
@joeyh I've been wanting to experiment with deciduous vines like what you are doing with the grapes. my house has kind of a funny shape and I think it's the western side that takes a beating and contributes the most to the temperature rise.
@dthompson roof awnings also work and are quicker to install. Common down South.
@dthompson also baseline temp is 55F in winter (down to 0F or so); never freezes inside
@joeyh do you not have a basement? my house is 2 story with a field stone foundation. the unfinished basement feels quite pleasant right now!
@dthompson basically is a basement, albeit with a whole wall of glass..
@joeyh what are you using to monitor your house temperature?
@dthompson 1-wire temp sensors via gpio & linux
@joeyh thanks. I'd like to try something similar.
@dthompson perhaps finishing the basement and having a warm-weather bed there is the non-AC way to go
Or a sleeping porch if you have a screenable porch and good nightime temps.
@joeyh its only these more extreme summer temps that get to me. as I write this my bedroom is reaching a comfortable sleeping temperature. the house stays pretty comfortable when highs are below 90. my basement is not very finishable (house built in 1800) and I don't want to sacrifice the workshop space and easy access to plumbing/wires.
@arunisaac @dthompson Sometimes I feel like a fan blow hot air to my body. 😅
@arunisaac ceiling fans and box fans help, though my bedroom does not have a ceiling fan.
@arunisaac most of the rooms in my house have fans, but the master bedroom is one that doesn't. thanks for the link.
@arunisaac this article is really good btw.
@dthompson
living in waltham
and i do not use AC at all
gamd enerally sleep on 3rd floor
showers, fans, moving slowly
thought about sleeping on porch
but haven't so far
being alive can b uncomfortable
sometimes u just need to endure
🤒
@dthompson
"and generally sleep"
@dthompson that's v v admirable 👍 admittedly my family has a huge reliance of AC, but I'm quite fond of the "freeze bottle of water and apply at pulse points" when I'm trying to cut back
@dthompson I'm lucky to have a house that can weather 95F for weeks and stay under 82 with no air con. Also the floors are more like 70. Thermal mass rules.
(Humidity is another matter, I've been putting ceiling fans in every room to make it more pleasant.)