Fans

Since fans simply move air around, it's amazing how they can cool you off so effectively. As moving air passes over your skin, it creates a "wind chill effect," evaporating the perspiration on your body, reducing body heat and cooling you off. New technology in modern fans concentrates and moves air around the room even more effectively.

There are many types of fans available. Choose your fan based on the space you need to cool. Pedestal fans rest on the floor and feature a circular fan at the top of a post or pedestal to move air around the room. A tower fan often stands as tall as a pedestal fan, but air flow from a rectangular fan extends from much of the height of the fan, not only from the top.

Permanent ceiling fans, often combined with an overhead light fixture, are typically hard-wired in the home, while portable fans can be moved around the home, based on your cooling needs. Table, floor, and box fans are the most portable fans of all.

Many fans oscillate to move air more effectively around a large space. Some fans offer handy remote controls, so you can control both fan speed and oscillation from across the room. If you get chilled easily, you can invest in a fan with a thermostat. When the room temperature falls below what you have programmed, the fan with a thermostat will stop until the room temperature rises.

If the humidity in the air is on the rise, you can lower it with an air conditioner. Choose a common window air conditioner if you have traditional double-hung windows. If you don't have easy-to-fit windows for AC, consider a portable air conditioner that can be moved from room to room in your home — it is simply vented out a window. If you live in a dry climate, an evaporative cooler can help reduce indoor air temperature by combining the cooling properties of evaporating water and moving air. Thermostats help you keep track of the temperature in your home. Investing in a programmable thermostat or smart thermostat can save you money in the long run.