Whenever an area suffers a long-term blackout during the summer, the news reports about people who are suffering from the heat. For those who grew up without air conditioning, that always seems a bit difficult to understand, but the invention of air conditioning has changed people and how they manage hot weather.
Many consider air conditioning an addiction of sorts, and interestingly, that is what the companies that manufactured the first ones had hoped would happen. That is why they first presented the idea of air conditioning to businesses in the hopes that people would become so used to enjoying the coolness while shopping, working and performing other activities that they would buy units for their homes, as well. Obviously, the plan worked quite well, as we went from few homes having air conditioning in the 1940’s to nearly all homes having them now.
All this said, just how does one survive the loss of air conditioning during a blackout? One of the things to keep in mind is not to panic. Stress and worry will only make you feel even hotter. There are steps you can take immediately to retain as much coolness as possible. Close all draperies to eliminate as much sun warmth as possible. Keep the house closed up as long as the indoor temperature is still less than the outdoor temperature, but once that changes, get those windows open to create air flow.
Refrain from using candles for light if possible, as they will heat up a room more than you might imagine. Opt for flashlights instead. Since you will also need to eat up foods in the freezer before they thaw and spoil, use them for cooling down. A bag of frozen peas can feel pretty good resting on your forehead when it’s 100 degrees inside. Eating up the ice cream will temporarily make you feel cooler also. You may not have 1,000 servants to wave fans at you as nobility did in ancient times, but using something to fan yourself can make you feel cooler. There are also battery-operated fans you can purchase and have on hand.
Other than cooling off in the swimming pool, if you have one available, remember to keep out of the sun and keep activities to a minimum. Be sure to drink as much water as you can to prevent becoming dehydrated. When the power comes back on, remember that it will take a while for your air conditioning equipment to catch up. It may even cool the house lower than where you have the thermostat set because it is also dealing with removing humidity.
