cooling question

[karel]

So I've been looking around Google for this, and it seems like I'm just phrasing things wrong (and that there's too many other things "fan" describes), so I figure that this could be a question that might help others a little too.

My air conditioning recently went out, and while insurance is covering the cost of replacing the unit, it's going to be a few days, and it's Las Vegas in the summer. I have a few fans on my hands, and I was wondering if anyone can recommend placement of them for maximum cooling efficency. I have a big box fan, a mini desk fan, and one on a stand. I've already got the rooms I don't use and don't need to cool all closed up. I also have west-facing windows covered, and since it's a condo in a building, the rest of the windows are pretty well-protected.

Any other general tips for keeping cool in the summer with or without ac?

Comments

[karel]

That's what I was doing last night and managed to bring the temperature down some, and I did just step outside and quickly closed my sliding doors and moved the fans away from them!

[chalcopyrite]

Oh, you have so much sympathy from me.

When we lived in Texas (and had AC but couldn't afford the electricity to run it), we found that putting a big fan in a window facing *out*, and opening another window as far away as possible, cooled the apartment down faster than the fan blowing in. I bet you could put a bowl of ice on the windowsill of the "in" flow and introduce some moisture that way, though less efficiently than if it's in front of the fan.

Another thing I did was, when going to bed, just get a t-shirt wet in tap-cold water, squeeze it out, and wear that to bed. You might want a towel under you so less water ends up on the mattress, but it seemed like it dried right out of mine during the day.

[karel]

(Had that problem last summer when the coils had to be cleaned... hello 200+ electric bill with nothing else running!)

I'll have to see about that wet tee idea. It might work, though with my sleeping habits as of late, it might be too distracting to let my mind rest.

Tonight I'll definitely be trying all of these fans-in-windows tricks!

[azurelunatic]

I used ice bottles, in Arizona. Fill a water bottle that won't be destroyed by the freezer partway full, pull out at bedtime, fill the rest of the way with cold water. (If the water is softened with salt, you may need to rinse off the top layer before filling or it'll be horribly brackish.) Wrap in towel. (I suppose I could have also sewn together a towel bag.) Take to bed, wrap self around.