​​​​​​​Keep your home and car cool 10 ways 

How to keep your home cooler 

• Find alternatives to air conditioning. Most Northwest HVAC contractors already are booked until fall or beyond for air-conditioning installations. If you’ll be facing another summer without A/C, invest now in at least two good box fans. When temperatures inside climb higher than temperatures outside, open a window on the cool side of the house (blowing in) and one on the warm side of the house (blowing out). Place a 9 x 13 inch pan of ice in front of the inward-blowing fan for added cooling. You’ll replace the hotter air in the room with cooler air, rather than simply recirculating hot air.
• Shut your home’s windows and blinds during the heat of the day. Open them once you’re back in the evening – and only when the outside temperature is the same or cooler than it is inside. Also, keep glass vases and reading glasses off sun-soaked window sills (and glass pet bowls off decks) because they can turn into fire-starting lenses if sunlight hits them just right.
• Don’t rely on window screens to keep kids safe. Window screens are built to pop out easily so they can’t trap people in a fire. Unfortunately, that feature also leads to 4,000 serious falls a year, mostly among children under age 4, when kids push against them. Secure your windows so they can’t open wider than four inches. Also, move furniture away from the walls so kids can’t climb to reach the windows. This video from UW Medicine shares one family’s cautionary tale. (Don’t be afraid to watch – it ends happily!)
• Block sliding windows and doors with dowels. During hot weather, police always anticipate a spike in burglaries as opportunistic crooks seek open windows and sliding doors for quick and quiet entry. (Never leave ground floor doors and windows open after you go to bed.) If you have the time and budget, install heavy gauge screen doors with bolt locks, which are more secure than typical window screens.
• Reverse your ceiling fan. Flip the switch so, instead of pushing warm air down, the blades turn counter-clockwise to cool your room.

How to keep your car cooler

• Get your cooling system inspected and flushed. Your mechanic also can verify that your radiator is leak-free and your pressure cap, hoses and belts are in good shape. They’ll also check that you have the correct mix of coolant (antifreeze) and water recommended for your vehicle.
• Practice “look before you lock.” Changes in routine (e.g., not my normal day to drop off at daycare) can lead to tragedy on a hot day if you absentmindedly leave a sleeping child or pet in the soon-to-be-sweltering car. Keep your work security badge in the back seat. It will force you to turn around and look there (you won’t be able to get into your building without it). Also, keep car doors locked at home and the keys out of sight. About one-third of the time, kids climb into hot cars on their own.
• Circulate coolant and watch the temperature gauge. When you’re stopped in traffic on warm days, periodically put the car in Park and gently step on the gas to circulate engine coolant. If your car starts overheating, you may be able to limp to safety by turning on the heat full-blast. As miserable as that sounds on a hot day, it may displace enough heat from the engine to allow you to get to a repair shop. If the gauge is hitting the red zone, though, pull over in a safe location and call for assistance. Depending on the coverages you selected, your PEMCO auto policy may reimburse you for the costs of emergency towing and roadside assistance.
• Cool your car’s cabin fast. Start the car, open the back windows and set the A/C to fresh air (not recirculate) to push hot air out of the car quickly. After the cabin reaches a comfortable temperature, close the windows and switch the setting to recirculate to maintain the cool temperature.
• Remove flammables from your trunk. That includes aerosol cans to avoid fire or explosion risks. Also, head straight home after grocery shopping to avoid food spoilage.