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One way to cool off when the temperatures soar is with a misting system. These things work on the principle of evaporative cooling. When water evaporates, it uses up energy, or heat, which leaves the area around it cooler. Combine that cooling effect with a little shade you can really get comfortable. There are simple do-it-yourself misting systems that work on ordinary household water pressure and can be installed in under an hour. Surprisingly, they don’t use as much water as you would think. There are even patio umbrellas that come fitted with misting nozzles so all you have to do is connect a garden hose. The limitation is that these things only cool a small area and they tend to be most effective when the humidity is low.  But even when the humidity is as high as 80 percent they do offer some relief from the heat of summer.