Guest Hunter0723 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 My air conditioner broke the other day. I have been running this for about 5 hours daily to keep my 9 1/2 year old greyhound cool. At the moment I've opened most of the downstairs windows and have all the ceiling fans going. Will this be enough to keep him cool in the heat of summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It usually is. The trick with no AC is open windows only at night and close during the day. This uisly keeps the house cooler than outside but some variables can change this. Quote Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge. Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Move your greyhound's bed to the 'morning' side of the house in the afternoon. If you put up a simple shade awning to stop sun getting in big patio windows it will also help a lot. Curtains and blinds trap the heat between the windows and the curtain, but an awning stops the sun concentrating behind the glass. Just a couple of tricks we use in the UK where we don't typically have a/c because very hot weather seldom lasts very long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Do you have a basement? My girls and I have been sleeping down there during this heatwave (in NJ). The AC is just a window unit and too loud for me to sleep. During the day one of my girls goes downstairs on her own to sleep in the coolness while I'm at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time4ANap Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 If you have windows that get direct sun, hang a thick quilt over them to keep the radiant heat from beating in. I use moving blankets from Harbor Freight on a couple windows at peak times of day. It makes a huge difference. When we live in IL we had a huge window on the front of the house that radiated cold off the glass. It had a permanent quilt over it all Winter to trap that cold air between the window and the quilt. It made a huge difference. Quote Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan. Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket, Allie Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 You don't indicate where you live, or what sort of housing you're in. I'm on the top floor of my condo building, and it's pretty unbearable without A/C. Bear in mind that fans cool us by blowing across the perspiration on our skin. Since dogs don't sweat, all a fan really does is blow air around. I second the notion of windows open at night and closed during the day. If it's 95 out, opening the windows will not cool the inside of your house. Can you get a window unit so at least one room is cool if your dog chooses to go in it? Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHead Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It depends on where you live and how hot it is. I don't have air and we usually are fine but it isn't fun when we have temps in the 90s or 100s. When it gets really hot and humid I would suggest keeping your windows closed as well as most of the blinds so the sun won't shine in. That will keep it much cooler and help to lower humidity. I also have a cooling mat and fans. I turn my furnace fan on which seems to help because it at least blows cooler basement air through the vents (almost feels like AC!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 (edited) Hose him down. I'm spending my summer in San Antonio and I hose my dogs down twice a day. If anything they smell great. Cooler.wood or tile floors for.them.we have shades drawn and fans on the floor,yup keep the daytime heat out. Edited July 23, 2015 by cleptogrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatricksMom Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Are you going to be able to get it fixed reasonably quickly? I bet someone from your adoption group would take him for a couple of days if you're worried about his health w/out it. Quote Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My power went out last week on a very hot day and I took my girl to the vet for day boarding immediately. Fortunately they are close and she loves it there. Didn't want to risk it. Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurfette Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 If you have windows that get direct sun, hang a thick quilt over them to keep the radiant heat from beating in. I use moving blankets from Harbor Freight on a couple windows at peak times of day. It makes a huge difference. When we live in IL we had a huge window on the front of the house that radiated cold off the glass. It had a permanent quilt over it all Winter to trap that cold air between the window and the quilt. It made a huge difference. In the southern parts of Europe the people use wet quilts to cover the windows. The water cools the air down while evaporating. As soon as it gets cooler, open the windows and doors if possible, so the wind can cool the house down. And when it gets really hot, I use the garden hose to wet the house from the outside in the evening. The water cools the stone and when the sun rises the water evaporates and cools the house down. In Germany it is not a common thing to have air conditioning in private homes. I have very thick quilts for my dogs to sleep on in the winter. When it very hot, I soak them in water and lay them on the floor for my greys to sleep on. Quote Sorry for butchering the english language. I try to keep the mistakes to a minimum. Nadine with Paddy (Zippy Mullane), Saoirse (Lizzie Be Nice), Abu (Cillowen Abu) and bridge angels Colin (Dessies Hero) and Andy (Riot Officer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreytTerp Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 We battled no air conditioning and the long process of getting it fixed when we bought our house earlier this year, with no AC through mid-June in the Washington, D.C. area. We do not have windows that can accept a window air conditioner without destroying the moisture barrier, so we were stuck with opening all windows at night, closing everything up during the day, and keeping fans running. Our mostly finished basement is always cool, even when the rest of the house is very warm, and we made a special area just for our hound (and for us, as we were also sleeping down there). As an alternative to a window A/C unit, there are many videos and tutorials online where you can use a basic fan, a 5 gallon bucket, a styrofoam cooler, and a frozen gallon of water to make an effective room air conditioner to get you buy until your A/C can be fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hunter0723 Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 It usually is. The trick with no AC is open windows only at night and close during the day. This uisly keeps the house cooler than outside but some variables can change this. This sounds like a great and simple idea! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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