We try to avoid using air-conditioning at night, but running the central fan might use even more electricity, and we don’t have solar panels.
If you are alive in 2025 and are not extremely concerned about climate change, congratulations: you must have found one very comfortable rock under which to live. Here, a recent dry, record-breaking hot spell that threatened to destroy the garden found us trying new tricks to stay cool.
Solution: set up bi-level cross-ventilation from first to second floor. This involves leaving doors open that normally remain closed for privacy, but that’s a small price to pay for cooling your home naturally.
Of course, you do need a two-story home that allows air to travel through your (screened) upper-level bedroom windows from a lower-level entrance, and a locking-screen door on said entrance. (We hope that the danger of being burglarized is in your neighborhood is low.) Once you’ve locked its screen door, leave the main entrance door open wide, and fling open your bedroom windows and door, too.
Do you feel a wonderful puff of cool air? Success! You’ve drawn the cool air across and up/down while its movement has pushed the hot air out and away. Tried this last night after a 95 degree evening and got chilled enough to consider adding a summer blanket. Yes to that!
And to the neighbors: you’re welcome to the t.v., if you really want it! We don’t watch it much. Good night!
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