What can we do to help our 220 A/C cool our mobile home?
Question:As the weather gets hotter, our trailer does too. We have a 220 A/C in the living room and a 110 in the bed room. We shut off the 110 when we are not in the bed room. Last year we closed off all the other rooms including the hallway and covered all the windows in the dinning/kitchen/living room area with heavy drapes and it seemed to help a little. Besides what we have already done what else can we do to keep things a little cooler but not brake the bank when the electric bill comes?
Answers:
I know how hot a trailer can get in the summer. The suggestion to paint the roof white is a good one if it's not already a light color.
I used to put blankets over the windows on the sunny side to cut the amount of heat coming in - just make sure that what you hang over the windows is light colored - dark material will act like a solar heater. Even in a house, we've found that or hanging bamboo blinds on the outside of the windows in the summer keeps things cooler in here.
If you're in a park, there are probably limitations on what you can get away with outside, but window awnings are usually allowed and can help.
Get or build a swamp cooler
check on the insulation in your attic/roof. also, is the top of the home painted black or covered with black tar? consider painting it white or adding a white or silver roofing sealer.
Use it with fans, and set them to rotate. In a few hours, you should be able to continue rotating the cool air, and give the AC a rest
Buy two box fans & put one at each end of the mobile home to run daily. Place these in front of the closed doors in the living area you are using daily. Since your bedroom a/c is off during the day, leave that door open, so some cool air can get to it. When the sun goes down, turn your bedroom a/c on & it won't take as long for the room to cool down before you go to bed. Ceiling fans will help circulate the air when your a/c is on. They don't cost much & they can really help keep the rooms cool. If you have mini blinds throughout your home, keep the slats pointed upwards so the sun won't shine in.
More Related Questions & Answers...