tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post7103306711219853365..comments2024-03-28T14:37:45.575-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: Living Without Air Conditioning Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-8559604938714161012021-12-19T13:57:36.463-05:002021-12-19T13:57:36.463-05:00Daisy, modern homes simply aren't designed to ...Daisy, modern homes simply aren't designed to keep cool without AC. We've continued to work on ours, and everything we've done has helped with energy efficiency. The thing I like best, is that there's no shock to the system when we go outdoors in summer, because the temp difference isn't huge. That really suits our lifestyle. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-70573619335667727722021-12-19T07:38:03.653-05:002021-12-19T07:38:03.653-05:00Wowzers! I can't imagine not having the A/C g...Wowzers! I can't imagine not having the A/C going in the heat of summer, but I guess you get used to it. Hubbs would never go for that though. I admire your commitment to staying within your budget and finding solutions. daisy ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06129079277073067462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-62392604981578220192015-09-29T05:46:08.249-04:002015-09-29T05:46:08.249-04:00Lynn, you are so right about being able to build y...Lynn, you are so right about being able to build your own place. You can plan your needs right into your design. Sometimes I really wish we had been able to do that. We probably would have if we had started younger, except considering the time and resources it's taken to update our old house, we just should have bought undeveloped land and done it ourselves.<br /><br />That's excellent about your electric bill, and I hear you on water. I'm guessing the lions share of that is for sewage. When we lived in the city, sewage tripled our water bill.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-41697802344895595212015-09-29T02:38:29.508-04:002015-09-29T02:38:29.508-04:00Here in N. Texas A/C is a necessity for me, but we...Here in N. Texas A/C is a necessity for me, but we keep it at 78 most the time. Sometimes I get a chill and turn it off for a while, but we currently consume a LOT of electricity. Thankfully, we have great rates (3.4cents/kWh), because I have a family of 7, with a fridge and a freezer, 4 computers, 2 TVs, game systems, on and on, but our last summer bill was still less than $100. We have gas heat, not sure what our heating bills will look like yet. The big expense where we are is water, our bill is regularly near $100, and for someone used to well water it regularly gives me heart attacks. We're still in the city, with plans to buy our little piece of heaven in the next few years. I really want to build instead of buy if possible, so I can be assured of things like insulation, air flow, energy saving measures, etc. This blog has been an invaluable resource as I research, thanks Leigh!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12267964434669951987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-59353714440699533472015-09-07T04:52:13.922-04:002015-09-07T04:52:13.922-04:00Thanks. :) I never thought I could do it either, b...Thanks. :) I never thought I could do it either, but we keep our thermostat set so high, that it always feels hot in the house anyway. The one thing I missed was having the humidity taken out of the air. But with the fans and managing opening and closing windows, we survived. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-5992618136101712702015-09-06T14:40:41.499-04:002015-09-06T14:40:41.499-04:00I am very in awe of you leigh! I can't do even...I am very in awe of you leigh! I can't do even the mild heat and humidity in central Minnesota! However that is probably more due to the fact that my body doesn't deal well with the heat. In any case congratulations for getting that much closer to your goals!!Leahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901630432442427523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-44174871745121367042015-08-17T20:32:44.432-04:002015-08-17T20:32:44.432-04:00Dan and I talk about getting completely off grid (...Dan and I talk about getting completely off grid (doubtful) it makes me think carefully about how we use electricity. I applaud your commitment, because I know it isn't easy.. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-58481474856119797622015-08-17T17:25:16.301-04:002015-08-17T17:25:16.301-04:00I feel ya,, we are in NC, and have had days of nea...I feel ya,, we are in NC, and have had days of near 100 with about 80% humidity.<br />since we are off the power grid, we have no air conditioning and verrrrrrrry limited fan use,, no fan at night( cant use extra power like that all night when the sun isn't shining,!! its been tough to say the least.!!!Off-Grid Homesteadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015036727288329780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-14838896003387669422015-08-10T10:28:38.246-04:002015-08-10T10:28:38.246-04:00Yikes, that's hot! It's probably all the h...Yikes, that's hot! It's probably all the harder too, because you don't usually have those kinds of summers. Excellent tips for keeping the house too. Thanks Lucia.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-79021076491524976862015-08-10T10:26:59.870-04:002015-08-10T10:26:59.870-04:00Oh yes! Both that and an attic vent fan; both are ...Oh yes! Both that and an attic vent fan; both are on are wish/to-do list. I've lived with a whole house attic fan and am hearing really good reports on the effectiveness of the vent fans. Hoping for both one of these days. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-91866424606405800722015-08-10T10:05:25.774-04:002015-08-10T10:05:25.774-04:00Somebody else might have already said this, but ha...Somebody else might have already said this, but have you considered a single attic fan? I grew up with one of these in our old houses, and they make a huge difference in the early evening. They work a lot better than box fans in the windows. We plan to install one as soon as we can. I watched a video from This Old House recently on how to install them -- they fit between the existing floor joints in your attic. They really PULL in that outside air, once it's a bit cooler in the evening out there. Will be watching this part of your life closely as we are also in the SE and want to reduce our electricity costs.M.K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09205619221345704689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-34373227905043024292015-07-24T15:29:21.624-04:002015-07-24T15:29:21.624-04:00We are having a very hot summer in Madrid (Spain)....We are having a very hot summer in Madrid (Spain). We are reaching temperatures over 40 ºC during the day. In my little town in the mountains, where you could always count on wanting a blanket at night for sleeping in the summer, it's so hot, some nights we have not been able to sleep well. We are taking cold showers and I have shaded our small vegetable garden. The plants simply could not take the heat. Imagine that: I have shaded the tomatoes!! We don't have air conditionning. I never have and I have lived in very hot places, like Cartagena, which is in Southern Spain, near Africa. We open all windows at night and close them all, shades and all, as soon as the light hits them. We keep West windows open during the morning and open East windows when the sun's moved West. By closing windows (and shades) this way we can keep the temperature very confortable. I must add that we don't have fans, either. I also must add that we have very strong shades, that lock out the light completely. if you don't have them, I have seen in Morocco windows and doors closed with carpets hung from the frame of the window/door. Keeping hot air and light/sun out is vital for this to work.<br />I still envy your 65 dollar bill. We spend so much more!!<br />LucíaLucía Moreno-Velohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06161529503085173269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-88978263515830387132015-07-23T21:01:25.676-04:002015-07-23T21:01:25.676-04:00Nancy, that would certainly make it tough. I somet...Nancy, that would certainly make it tough. I sometimes wonder how folks managed before air conditioning. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-17099119702276228732015-07-23T20:52:41.912-04:002015-07-23T20:52:41.912-04:00You know, we looked at those mini-splits and now m...You know, we looked at those mini-splits and now my son has been talking about replacing their window unit with central air. Turns out it would cost $10,000 because ductwork would have to be installed too. I couldn't think of the name of the Mitshibishi units, so I was so glad you mentioned them! Good feedback on their energy efficiency too. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-25924058265494169042015-07-23T17:42:23.944-04:002015-07-23T17:42:23.944-04:00Hi! I admire what you are doing. Good for yous. ...Hi! I admire what you are doing. Good for yous. At this point in my life and age and the fact that I have Lyme disease now I don't think I could handle it. The low electricity bill sure sounds wonderful! Nancy Cozy Thyme Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933769393226611441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-23585939701799592662015-07-23T14:08:24.155-04:002015-07-23T14:08:24.155-04:00i just have to tell you about my a/c. i am retir...i just have to tell you about my a/c. i am retired and could not pay 6500 $ for a new a/c in my redo home so i looked into mitshibishi mini-splits. two cost only 2500 $ and i have one at one end of my 1000 sq ft houseand one at the other end. i am cool and comfy and my electric runs between 50 and 60 $ per month all year , i love them. dindinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12244875497233803814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-1534867809425811742015-07-23T11:27:28.013-04:002015-07-23T11:27:28.013-04:00I forgot to mention that Dan has been looking at w...I forgot to mention that Dan has been looking at ways to vent rooms (or the house) without a fan. They used to use shafts which would draw hot air up and out, allowing cooler air to be pulled in at the bottom. We will probably put our first experimental one in the pantry. Like everything else, however, it takes time to get to a project, but it's on the list!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-64535117510050443612015-07-23T11:03:52.280-04:002015-07-23T11:03:52.280-04:00Wow, you can run all that and have a comparable el...Wow, you can run all that and have a comparable electric bill? That's amazing. Our bill for June was $63.06 for 460 kilowatt hours of usage. <br /><br />We've seen a wonderful difference as we've added insulation and new windows. I'm not sure we could be doing this if we hadn't done that!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-21733705760850166382015-07-23T10:59:33.485-04:002015-07-23T10:59:33.485-04:00Well, it's sort of a "bloom where you are...Well, it's sort of a "bloom where you are planted" sort of thing. Secretly, both Dan and I would love to move farther north! I have to agree about the attic fan and venting. That really needs to be moved closer to the top of the to-do list. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-82733990119230500582015-07-23T10:57:40.522-04:002015-07-23T10:57:40.522-04:00Sandy, I know all about those hot flashes. The onl...Sandy, I know all about those hot flashes. The only time they're welcome is in the winter. LOL<br /><br />A tent with a removable top sounds like a great idea for summer sleeping!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-17389512922159583842015-07-23T10:53:15.320-04:002015-07-23T10:53:15.320-04:00Sounds like the builders of your old house knew wh...Sounds like the builders of your old house knew what they were doing! Dan's been reading a book that mentions a number of old builders' tricks for keeping homes cool in summer. <br /><br />Have to agree about the mold and mildew problem. Ventilation helps a lot there, even if it isn't cooled. It's just getting good ventilation in the right places!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-64321581271099301162015-07-23T10:51:10.439-04:002015-07-23T10:51:10.439-04:00Yes, it's all a matter of what we get used to!...Yes, it's all a matter of what we get used to! I hadn't thought about propane lighting, but I know kerosene lanterns sure do put out a lot of heat! Still, solar just for lights would probably be economical, as compared to powering a whole house. I'll be interested in what you decide to do for energy in your new home.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-54869691656497208542015-07-23T10:49:14.153-04:002015-07-23T10:49:14.153-04:00Theresa, good to hear from you! I would love to ha...Theresa, good to hear from you! I would love to have one of those whole house fans, but haven't been able to talk Dan into one yet! And it seems that the window units are much kinder on the electric bill than trying to cool the whole house, from what everyone is saying. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-57657609638529463102015-07-23T10:46:59.488-04:002015-07-23T10:46:59.488-04:00Our attic is stifling in summer too, and I have to...Our attic is stifling in summer too, and I have to agree about some sort of solar vent fan. After all the suggestions in the comments here, I'm going to research one of these once again. I did so a number of years ago, but I think the price was a bit out of our range at the time. Maybe I'll come up with something better. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-24888762212858084142015-07-23T10:45:35.088-04:002015-07-23T10:45:35.088-04:00Very good tips, Deborah, thanks.
I confess we ha...Very good tips, Deborah, thanks. <br /><br />I confess we have a terrible problem with pantry moths. But since we're harvesting such large quantities (like a quarter to a half acre worth), I haven't figured out an alternative to freezing. :(Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.com