The moment it feels warm or hot in the house, the first thing most people do is crank up the air conditioner. Air conditioners are excellent devices to keep your home cool during summer. With more than 600 people dying yearly due to extreme heat (heat stroke), air conditioning provides a quick and easy solution against the excruciating hot weather.
However, relying too much on air conditioning also has its drawbacks. Air conditioning uses too much energy, leading to expensive utility bills. Furthermore, spending long periods in an air-conditioned home can cause skin dryness and trigger respiratory problems in people with existing allergies. Thankfully, there are many ways to stay cool at home without using or installing an AC.
Once you’ve tried these tips, you might never look at your air conditioner the same way again. For your guide, here are the best ways to keep your home cool without the air conditioner.
1. Install And Use A Ceiling Fan
Investing in a ceiling fan is among the most practical ways to keep your home cool without the AC. The ceiling fan can distribute cool air throughout your home and make the atmosphere feel airy. Furthermore, ceiling fans operate with less or no noise at all compared to air conditioners. You can’t tell they’re running or spinning until you feel the cool breeze inside the room.
Ceiling fan rotations have two settings: counter-clockwise and clockwise. Set the rotation counter-clockwise during the summer or hot weather to push the air down and provide a cool breeze. But during winter, set it clockwise at low speed to spread the warm air from the ceiling and redistribute it throughout the room.
To make the best of your ceiling fan, remember to install it at a safe distance, preferably 2.1 meters from the floor, to avoid accidents. You can install a ceiling fan guard if your home’s ceiling is too low to follow the required distance. You may seek help from professional technicians like the ones from mremergency.com.au or other ceiling fan repair experts to reinstall or reposition your fan or add a guard.
2. Close The Drapes Or Your Windows
Sunlight is the primary source of heat. Letting it stream directly into your home will make the indoor atmosphere too hot. During the daytime, when the sun is at its hottest, close the drapes and windows to prevent the sunlight from streaming in and reduce the heat inside. When the sun is about to set and the temperature outside drops, you may open the windows and drapes to let the cooling breeze inside.
If you’re worried about not getting air into your house when all the windows are closed during the day, you may consider investing in retractable window awnings. Retractable awnings will protect your window and furniture pieces indoors from the damaging heat of the sun. These also allow you to keep your windows open without worrying about the sun streaming in.
3. Turn Off And Unplug Heating Appliances
Some people don’t realize that their heating appliances significantly contribute to your home’s indoor heat. For example, turning on the stove or oven or running the dishwasher will produce heat in the air, increasing the room’s temperature. Small appliances like hair blowers, lamps, and even your phone charges can also generate and add heat to your home.
Thus, to retain the coolness of your home, turn off and unplug these heating appliances, especially when not in use. If you wish to dry your hair, consider skipping the hair blower and air dry it instead. And if you need to cook, you can fire up the grill at least a few times a week to preserve your home’s coolness.
4. Create A DIY Air Conditioner
Do you wish to feel the same coolness from an air conditioner without actually using the AC? You can create a DIY air conditioner.
To do this:
- Take out those ice cubes you’ve been keeping in your freezer and place them in a bowl.
- Set them up in front of the electric fan you have at home. When the ice cubes melt, the fan will pick up the cold breeze released from the evaporating ice cubes and blow them throughout the room, keeping your home cool and breezy.
Remember to place a mat or empty container underneath the ice bowl to prevent the water from messing up your floors.
5. Use Your Exhaust Fans
You may have installed exhaust fans in your bathroom or kitchen to keep them moist-free. But you may also use these exhaust fans to keep your home cool by sucking out hot and humid air from the room. So, if it’s starting to get hot inside, especially when cooking, don’t forget to turn on your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans.
7. Make Long-Term Improvements
If you’re committed to not using the air conditioner for the long term, perhaps it’s time to make long-term improvements, such as planting trees outside your home. Besides improving your home’s landscape, trees can protect your home from the sun’s heat and provide shade. Furthermore, since trees give off oxygen, they can replace the level of carbon dioxide inside your home with plenty of fresh air.
Other than trees, you may also consider planting vines near your light-facing windows. Like trees, vines can shield your home from direct sunlight and reduce the amount of indoor heat by absorbing them out from your home. Plus, vines grow quicker than trees.
Wrapping Up
Even in the warmest places, there are several tips and strategies for you to try to keep your home cool without relying on your air conditioner. By minimizing the usage of ACs, you can save money on utility bills and do your part to protect and preserve the environment from the harmful effects of the AC.
