What Are Some Low Tech Ideas For Heating And Cooling Your Home?

1. 64

   PhoenixVposted 11 years ago

   What Are Some Low Tech Ideas For Heating And Cooling Your Home?
   
   What Are Some Low Tech Ideas For Heating And Cooling Your Home?

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2. 85

   SidKempposted 11 years ago

   1) Get comfortable with a summer house temperature of 82-86 degrees F., and a winter temperature of 64 - 68 degrees F, so you need less heating and cooling altogether. (Hot baths or showers can help, or you can warm and cool the body with exercise.)
   2) Use an intelligent combination of fans and a dehumidifier and opening and closing windows, as needed.
   3) Replace your lawn with a thick layer of mulch that holds moisture. Grow appropriate trees around the house for shade. A friend of mine did this here in Florida and needs no AC in the summer, and rarely heat in the winter.
   4) Use LED light bulbs to reduce electrical consumption and heat output. Control and turn off appliances appropriately.
   5) Add additional insulation under your roof.
   6) Choose an appropriate color for your roof - white for cool, dark to bring in heat.

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3. 0

   Marntzuposted 11 years ago

   I am not the best one to answer the heating side of the question but for cooling it. let me share what works in Phoenix AZ (summer temps can be up to 120 degrees here).
   
   1) double or triple pane windows with inert gas in between layers. these windows cost more but allow almost no thermal transfer between them.
   
   2) add some additional insulation to your attic. this will also reduce the amount of heat coming in during summer and escaping in winter.
   
   Basically reduce the amount of heat coming inside in the first place and cooling will be a lot easier.

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