What are the Alternative Air Conditioning Solutions for Homes?

Alternatives to modern-day air conditioning date back over seven thousand years. Most of these are integrated into the design of the building. They allow for an abundance of airflow, that occasionally is directed over water features, and pay detailed attention to insulation. These ideas remind us that we could be more energy efficient when it comes to our modern building techniques.

Not everyone can plan ahead and build an eco-friendly home with four foot thick insulated walls and natural air ducts built into the structure. Yet there are quite a few things that we can do to live more in harmony with our environment and be aware of our carbon footprint.

Options to Reduce the Temperature of your Home Naturally

The first step is to do an assessment of your home and look for simple changes that can have large effects. Start by checking or installing extra insulation around doorways and windows to make sure you aren't letting in more heat than you need to. Cover your windows with reflective film, blinds, or drapes to help lower the radiant temperature in your home. Awnings and shade trees or vines also help greatly in reducing the temperature outside of your home, lessening the need for air conditioning. Installing a misting system on your patio can lower the temperature up to 10 degrees. 

Efficient Air Conditioning Solutions for your Home

Sometimes the entire temperature of the home does not need to be lowered for the people in it to be more comfortable. There is a wide variety of indoor fans that can easily be moved to where the family is gathering in the home. Ceiling fans also have two settings, clockwise, pushing warm air (heat rises) from the ceiling down to warm you up, and counter-clockwise in the summer to circulate the cool air around you. Placing a wet sheet or bowl of ice in front of a fan will create even cooler air.

Adiabatic cooling is based on the science of evaporative cooling. Adiabatic coolers draw in the air from the room and circulate it through wet pads, as the pads dry, the air cools and then is pushed into the room. They are relatively small and can be moved from room to room. Adiabatic or evaporative coolers such as swamp coolers are great for high temperatures in the summer but may stop working if the relative humidity becomes too high.

How Air Conditioning Affects Air Quality in your Home

When faced with extreme heat in the summer, we tend to not open our windows, and rely on traditional air conditioning solutions that may decrease the air quality in our homes. Certain types of plants can improve the indoor air quality in your home naturally. Air purifiers and regular maintenance to any air conditioning unit including changing the filters monthly will also improve the air quality in your home.

5 Ways Pets Affect the Quality of Lives in Homes

Having pets in your home brings both delight and challenges to overcome. Whether your pet is a four-legged fur buddy, lives in water, or squawks in a cage, they all have pros and cons including how some pets can affect the indoor air quality of your home. The good news is that there is a multitude of solutions to make your life and your pets' lives more harmonious.

How Your Furry Friends Can Increase Your Quality of Life

Image via Flickr by Gallery Sweet Spot

The majority of households in America have at least one pet. There have been studies since 1919 that prove a pet (even a farm animal) can provide a therapeutic effect on humans. Even the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that "Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship." They also say that a pet such as a dog can bring about other health benefits such as getting out to exercise more, which helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. With or without studies, many people know the comfort, security, and joy having a pet can bring to the family.

Health Issues Caused by Pets in your Home

Possible allergies and increased exposure to illness and disease are important to be aware of when you have pets in the home. Some pet allergies can develop over time and are often considered to be caused by fur. In reality, it is the dead skin, or dander, that causes an allergic reaction in humans.

In addition to allergies, pets can sometimes increase your family's exposure to germs, bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can spread zoonotic diseases. Children younger than 5 and adults older than 65 as well as people with compromised immune systems are considered to be more at risk from these diseases.

To avoid the risk of toxoplasmosis, pregnant women should not get a new cat and should not change the litter box of a cat already in the home. Children under 5 years old should not have a reptile as the danger of salmonella infection is highly increased.

How Pets Affect the Air Quality Inside Your Home

Animals that go outside, such as dogs and cats, can carry dirt, pollen, and debris into your home. There is also a fresh supply of pet dander that is present every time your pet moves. The good news is that with a regular bathing schedule, outside grooming, and a good quality air filter, you can lessen the negative effects of having your fur buddies live with you. Ireland Heating and Air Conditioning Co. offer some great advice on solutions for your indoor air quality.

Choosing The Right Pet

If you don't already have a pet, take some time to make sure you are choosing the right pet for both your needs and theirs. Younger animals take more of your time to train and can be unpredictable around children or other animals. There is a multitude of choices for the needs of every household.

The benefits of companionship that come with owning a pet are important to many families. Being aware of the ways we can manage concerns about air quality in the home helps to keep our families healthy and happy.