Summer has arrived. Our central heating systems are gathering dust and we are enjoying longer days and park visits. Of course, in these strange times, we are going to be spending more time indoors, even with some restrictions being relaxed. Although we like it hot, it can be a nightmare when trying to sleep, especially with sticky humid weather. To make matters worse many of our instincts to keep cool are actually completely wrong. From keeping windows open to using fans. So how do we stay cool inside our homes and avoid ending the days in a sweat drenched mess? Here are some of Zing Energy’s top tips for keeping your home cool during summer.
1) Insulate your home
It’s a big misconception that having your home insulted is just about keeping cosy when the mercury drops. As well as keeping your home warm in winter by reducing heat reduction, insulation can also help keep your home cool during the summer months. It stops the property trapping heat. Have a read through Zing’s Q+As on home insulation answering your top questions.
2) Use curtains or blinds
Curtains can be an effective tool to keep cool. As the sun shines through the window it may feel pleasant at first. However over time, like a greenhouse, it slowly heats the room leaving you sweltering by the end of the day. Combat this by keeping the windows closed and using blinds and curtains. This is especially vital for those with south-facing rooms.
3) Use cotton sheets and stick them in the freezer before bedtime
To make things comfortable at night you might want to ditch the duvet, or if you are looking to invest in one consider one with two tog settings for summer and winter. Use light cotton sheets instead. They are very effective at helping to keep you cool. They are much lighter than silk for example. To have an even more cooling effect, you can put them in the freezer before bed. Although we’d advice putting them in a plastic bag before. You don’t want to accidentally bring yesterday’s chilli con carne with you after all!
4) Change the position of your fan
Fans may offer us temporary respite from the heat but are only ever a temporary relief from the hot weather. All they are doing in re-circulating the same trapped hot air. However if you point them outside, towards the windows, they actually work to push out the hot air instead. This means they can help keep the room at a more even temperature.
5) Create an ice fan!
If you do long for the cool breeze of the fan in your face, one quick trick to avoid it just recycling hot air is to stick a bowl of ice cube filled water in front of the fan. As the ice melts this will cool the air temperature, even giving off a cooling mist. Who needs air con?
6) Create a through draft
If you do have two windows on opposite sides of the room, you should open them both. This will enable the air to circulate and also exit the room, cooling it down. This can be more effective at night without the sun creating any more heat into the room.
7) Turn off the lights
Light bulbs give off heat so switching them off will reduce the room’s temperature. Turning off the light bulbs also has the bonus effect of saving you money and being environmentally friendly. You can feel smug as well as keeping your home cool!
