Beat the heat, and do it cheap: How to cool your house and keep some cash
- posted: 10 July 2007
- scrolllifestyle@byui.edu
As summer hits Rexburg, heat hits student apartments. While most student budgets are not large enough to accommodate the purchase of an air-conditioning unit, there are still quite a few methods for cooling down the house.
“It’s been so hot in our apartment recently,” said Braden Bennight, a junior from Federal Way, Wash. “I always have to go outside to study, because I can’t stand being inside for too long.”
The United States Department of Energy has posted many methods of cooling down a house on their Web site, www.energy.gov.
These ideas help cool down the home while avoiding the cost of an air-conditioner. Their suggestions include installing sun-control or other reflective films on windows to reduce solar gain, opening windows and shades at night to let in the cool air and closing them during the heat of the day, and installing white window shades, drapes or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.
The Web site also suggests awnings or some type of shade to be placed outside over the window. This is another way to block ultra-violet rays and keep indoor temperatures lower.
These suggestions are just a few ways to beat the summer heat, and BYU-Idaho students could take advantage of them.
“Heat is wonderful in moderation, but too much is not fun,” said Sara Bench, a junior from Ontario, Ore. Bench agrees that opening the windows during the night and closing them during daytime helps. She also strongly recommends the use of fans to keep air circulating.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, fans produce an artificial “wind-chill factor,” making the air seem cooler than it actually is. In a relatively windy city such as Rexburg, residents are not unfamiliar with this concept. When put to use inside the house, this factor can cause the temperature indoors to feel more comfortable.
“Avoid using the oven or stove,” said Soukson Praxaybane, a freshman from Monroe, La. “Have a salad or sandwich for lunch, and the house won’t get so hot.”
Praxaybane also advises cold drinks and frozen snacks, such as a virgin strawberry daiquiri to cool the body from the inside. Frozen fruits, such as bananas or strawberries, are healthy snacks that will also cool down the body during the summer heat.
Most students have differing opinions on whether or not they enjoy the heat, but during the hot month of July, most agree they would rather keep cool while indoors. These cost-effective cooling solutions might just help students achieve this goal and save money at the same time. 
