The dry season and summer are here and you might surely be experiencing intense hot weather. It’s the humid, hot air even when you’re just at home that’s so irritating, right? It makes you want to teleport to colder towns and cities like Baguio and Tagaytay.
But don’t worry, you will read in this article:
- How to cool the house without AC
- Ways to keep the house cool in summer naturally
- How to cool your house without electricity
How to cool the house without AC
Photo by Carlos Caamal from Pexels
Avoid additional costs in your electricity bill by not using your airconditioning unit and instead, learn how to cool the house without AC. Here are some tips compiled by Readers Digest on keeping the house cool in extreme heat.
1. Set your ceiling fans to move counter-clockwise
A ceiling fan isn’t something you can just turn on and forget about. The fan blades should rotate counter-clockwise (as you look up at it) in the summer to push the air straight down. On really hot days, increase the fan speed.
2. Closed unused rooms
Cooling efforts are severely hampered by rooms that aren’t in use. They’re like saunas, transferring unwelcome heat from one area to the next.
You may successfully trap that heat and keep it out of the way by closing the doors to unoccupied bedrooms or keeping the bathroom door locked all the time. Close the drapes tightly and even cover windows with a heavy bedspread or comforter before sealing off a room.
3. Use large appliances at night
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
Large appliances generate a great deal of heat. Ovens, clothes washers, and dryers should all be used in the evenings when temperatures are cooler and their output will be offset.
4. Buy a dehumidifier
People and pets are far more uncomfortable in moist heat than in dry heat. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from your home’s hot summer air, making it considerably more comfortable, even at higher temperatures.
Maintain an indoor humidity level of less than 60%. Use a unit that switches off when humidity falls below your desired level to save money on electricity. Water your plants with the water collected by the humidifier.
5. Close the windows
It may seem paradoxical, but if the air outside is hotter than inside your home, closing your windows during the warmest portion of the day will help keep the heat out.
While the windows are closed, have a fan going to circulate air. As the weather outside begins to cool in the evening, open your windows once more.
6. Open your windows at night
Make the most of those balmy summer evenings by opening your windows at night to create a cross-breeze that will help you and your family get a better night’s sleep. The colder air will flow throughout the night, letting you wake up to a cool environment.
7. Use fluorescent lamps over incandescent lamps
Small changes like switching to compact fluorescent lamps can have a big impact while also lowering your energy bill if you’re trying to cool down a room without air conditioning.
Incandescent bulbs waste an estimated 90% of their energy in the heat they emit, so if you’re trying to cool down a room without air conditioning, small shifts like switching to compact fluorescent lamps can have a big impact while also lowering your energy bill!
8. Position your electric fans correctly
The air isn’t actually cooled by fans. Rather, they move air about the room. You feel cooler because the airflow speeds up the evaporation process, and because your body transfers heat through perspiration, the faster evaporation rate makes you feel cooler.
A fan should be placed in a corner, low to the ground, where the cooler air is less dense so that it can force the cool air about the room. You can also use a fan to bring air in from the cooler portions of the house and circulate it throughout the warmer areas.
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How to cool your house without electricity
Whether it’s the summer season or not, of course, it’s also difficult to keeping house cool in extreme heat during power outages. Here’s how to cool your house without electricity.
1. Close the blinds
Photo by Monica Silvestre from Pexels
Summer heat can be let in through windows to the tune of 25%. If you don’t have air conditioning, cover the sun with drapes or shutters during the hottest hours of the day.
2. Use insulated window films
Window films have numerous advantages, including lowering energy expenses and giving seclusion while still allowing you to enjoy the view and light of the great outdoors.
When compared to unprotected windows, they can deliver up to 98 percent infrared heat reduction and reduce temperature imbalances in your home.
3. DIY your cold air
A fake ocean wind can be created using a bowl of ice and a fan. Simply add ice or an ice pack in a mixing bowl and place it in front of a fan. When you turn on the fan, the air will take on the appearance of a cool, misty breeze.
4. Start planting vines
Planting vines will function similarly to putting up an awning. Ivy and other fast-growing vines provide soothing shade. Climbers keep the temperature down by keeping the sun from heating up the outer walls.
These tips work well too if you want to know how to cool down a room fast. Beat that summer heat with these hacks and see what works best for you.