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It is four o’clock in the afternoon and its 96 degrees outside.  Its Hot!  Let me ask you a question What do you do if your air conditioner stops working?  Well first and foremost call Adam’s Air, We will get out to your home as soon as we can and hopefully be able to fix your system in a quick and easy way.  But just in case we are loaded up with calls and you have to wait, here are 9 steps to keep cool in your home when your AC goes out, courtesy of

www.directenergy.com

1: Plan. Find out the weather report for the next few days to help you plan how to keep cool. Plan to avoid using the oven and use the microwave, instead. Always run the hood fan when cooking on the stove.

2: Keep you and your family well hydrated. Drink plenty of water or fruit juice. Avoid coffee, tea, and alcohol as these beverages are diuretics that remove moisture from your body. Wear lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothing.

3: Keep your house closed up and draw the curtains during the day. Don’t open windows because you’ll let in the outside humidity. If your air conditioner was running before it broke, the humidity level is still low, the air is dry, and your home is still cool. Don’t waste the cool.

4: Open windows and use window fans only after sunset. During the day, your home absorbs infrared heat from the sun. At night, it releases this heat through radiational cooling. Opening your windows and running fans at night to blow a cross breeze in your home will cool it faster.

5: Open your attic door and set up a fan to air up into your attic at night. This will pull cool air into your home and blow heated air out of the attic.

6: Get up early and close up your home before the temperature climbs. Your home will have cooled off during the night, so you’ll want to keep that cool air inside your home for as long as possible. Be sure to close all the curtains because outside heat will radiate through the window glass into your home.

7: Turn on your fans. Turning on ceiling fans and your ventilation system’s blower fan can help keep air circulating throughout your home. Moving air also feels cooler against your skin because it aids evaporation —your body’s natural cooling process. Close off the vents and air returns in the rooms you are not using. Heat will build in the upper storeys first so keep infants and the elderly on the ground floor (or basement) to keep cool.

8: Consider buying a dehumidifier. Drying the air inside your home will add to your comfort. Get one large enough to handle the largest room where your family spends most of its time. Turn it off at night or close up your bedroom and use it only in there.

9: Use fewer covers on your bed and take a cool shower before bedtime. This will help keep you cool and relax you as you fall asleep.

 

If you can’t take the heat…
If your home becomes too hot, go cool off at a swimming pool or take your family to the mall, go see a movie, or go eat out. Basically, get into some air conditioning until both your family and your home can cool down.

Its cold here in the High Plains of Texas.  Our base is Amarillo,Texas and there is just not a lot of trees and hills that block that cold northern wind.  But we have some ideas of foods and spices you can use to keep your body at a warm and toasty when its cold outside.

6: Hot Drinks
It might seem a little too simple, but you can sometimes overlook the obvious answers. Holding the mug is warming enough, but the hot liquid into your system gives you instant internal warmth. Tea, apple cider or hot carob/cocoa are my favorites.

5: Soups And Stews
When the temperature dips, it’s time to shift from salads to soups. It’s still a good idea to get some raw foods, but have them in the afternoon when your body is at its warmest.
In the evening, a hearty soup or stew with lots of well-cooked root vegetables and spices will warm you up right to your frozen toes.

4: Whole Grains
Eaten hot, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley, buckwheat, millet, etc) give you instant warmth along with complex carbohydrates to give your body the energy and fuel it needs to keep warm.
Whole grains are also a good source of B vitamins and magnesium, and have some selenium as well. These nutrients are important to the function of your thyroid and adrenal glands. The glands help regulate body temperature, and tend to slow down in colder weather.
For people with severely underactive thyroid function, taking a high-quality iodine supplement can make a dramatic difference in body temperature. Before taking an individual supplement like that though, you should do a consultation with a nutritionist or naturopathic doctor. Iodine in particular can cause problems if you take too much.

3: Cinnamon
Cinnamon, and other spices, boost your metabolism which generates body heat. Include more spices in your meals, even just a little bit sprinkled on top. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, paprika, pepper, nutmeg and allspice are other good ones to incorporate as well.
Just make sure you don’t get things too spicy. The hottest spices – like cayenne – will make you sweat and actually release heat from your body. That’s why they eat the spiciest foods in the hottest climates.

2: Coconut Oil
Fats in general can help keep you warm as they metabolize, and aside from eating it, coconut oil is also really useful as a moisturizer. Dry, cracked skin lets heat escape more easily and is more sensitive to cold – especially when it’s windy.
If you keep your skin healthy and strong, it’ll be better at keeping the heat in. Before systems to keep you nourished and strong in the face of winter bugs. heading out into the cold, try rubbing some coconut oil on your legs, arms and face. You only need a little bit, and I tend to wipe my face lightly with a towel to get the excess oil off.

1: Ginger
Fresh or ground ginger is my favorite food to warm you up. Try using it in porridge, salad dressings, soups, cookies or muffins. One of my favorite ways to enjoy ginger is to put thin slices or grate some of the fresh root into a mug of hot water.
Not only does it help warm you up, but it boosts your digestive and immune systems.