How to stay cool this summer without switching on the air con
With summer in full swing, everyone is looking for a way to beat the heat. Some people are lucky and have air con in their homes, but there are some sure-fire ways to keep yourself and your home cool without switching on the air con. Especially handy for those of us who don’t have the luxury of air conditioning, we’ve put together some tips to make sure you don’t melt away this summer.
- Open doors and windows at cooler times of the day and night to let hot air out. This way, it doesn’t take as much energy to cool the place down as the hot air is back outside where it belongs.
- Close windows, doors, blinds, and curtains during the hotter parts of the day to block hot air from coming in. If the hot air doesn't get inside to begin with, it will take a much shorter time to cool the house.
- Ceiling fans can be your best friend. They move a lot of air around a space and keep you cool. Floor or table fans can also help to keep air movement up. Fans use significantly less energy than air conditioners so it’s worth trying that option first.
- For an even cooler fan set-up, try placing a bowl or pan of ice in front of your fan. The air being pushed by the fan will pick up the coolness coming up from the ice, and push that cool air to you. Make sure it doesn’t spill as it melts, and replace the ice every so often.
- Similarly, hang a wet or damp (not dripping) towel or sheet across an open window so the breeze is cooled as it comes through the window and circulates the room - add fans to really get the cool air around to where it’s needed.
- If you find that the cool air seems to escape your house, rather than stick around and keep it cool, you might have an air leaks. These can come from windows, doors, exhaust fans, downlights, skylights, powerpoints - basically any point at which the walls, floor, or ceiling has had an appliance, outlet, or anything similar, built in - that weren’t sealed properly when the job was done.
- Check for air leaks lighting a stick of incense or a candle and holding it steady in the areas you might suspect a leak. If the flame or the smoke moves in any way without some other influence, then there is airflow there that would suggest a leak. Check all around your house to see where exactly needs sealing.
- You can caulk any holes, weatherstrip the windows and doors, and place some temporary blockades like door snakes for under doors to block the leaks and keep that cool air inside.
- Find someone who has a pool if you don’t have one - float around for hours! A quick dip is sometimes enough to cool you down a lot, too.
Summer survival doesn’t automatically require an air conditioner. These tips - and many more - are out there to help you keep the temperature down in your home.
