Most of the year my old house is a cold place to spend time, the ground floor in particular somehow refuses to hold heat whatever the temperature outside – in fact, I’ve been known to go out into the garden to warm up a bit while working from home.
However, once summer arrives, first-floor bedrooms are transformed into stuffy sauna-like spaces that can become almost unbearably hot at times, making it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Despite all efforts Keeping the bedroom coolNothing seems to work.
With warmer weather around the corner (hopefully), I reached out to the experts for some help in hopes Stay cool in bed – and I was surprised to find that many of my daily habits, some of which I thought would help keep my home fresh and cool, were actually making things worse. If, like me, you struggle to keep your home warm in the heat, here’s what they say.
1. Opening windows in hot weather
(Image credit: French Bedroom)
I don’t know about you, but when the temperature rises inside my house, the first thing I do is open the windows, after all we’ve all realized the benefits. Burping a house. However, according to experts I spoke to, this can actually make matters worse.
‘Many people open the window as soon as they feel the heat. However, if the air outside is warmer than the air inside, you are effectively pumping heat into your home,’ explains Rich MillardSenior Sustainability Advisor at Building Energy SpecialistsWhich explains the concept of night purification. “At night, open all windows to let cool air in. Come morning, close all windows and keep curtains drawn before use fans to circulate in the air indoors.’
Kevin Pennington, Owner and MD Lancashire Air ConditioningAgree that opening windows at the wrong time of day is a seriously bad idea. ‘You let warm air in and this makes the house warmer than it would be if you kept the windows closed. This applies whenever the outside temperature is warmer than the inside.
‘Usually, on days above 25°C it’s very sunny, I leave my windows open early in the morning when the air temperature is still cool and then I open them again late at night when the air temperature is lower inside,’ adds Kevin. ‘It’s a free, natural way to cool the house.’
Richard Millard is a Senior Sustainability Consultant with extensive experience in sustainable energy solutions for the built environment. With a first-class honors degree in architectural engineering, Richard is particularly adept in low-energy building design for both new builds and retrofits.
Kevin is the owner and managing director of Lancashire Air Conditioning. He specializes in domestic AC installations in England and has installed over 1000 AC units and managed many more. Kevin has an encyclopedic knowledge of UK-stocked AC units designed for homes and is a member of the Refrigeration Institute with the TMINSTR designation.
2. Turn on my devices
(Image credit: The Cotswolds Company)
I admit I’m terrible when it comes to plugging anything into sockets – appliances, chargers, lamps, you name it, there they sit on stand-by. Not only that Vampire devices Gazelle energy, but, according to experts, they can also make my house warmer.
‘We often forget that appliances (even ovens, computers and big screen TVs) act as radiators,’ says Rich Millard. ‘Having it on standby during the hottest part of the day or cooking heavy meals increases the baseline temperature significantly.’
‘Other devices that cause excess heat Dishwasher And tumble dryers,’ likes Kevin Pennington. ‘During a hot spell, the heat produced by these devices can make a room unbearably hot. And drying clothes outside on a hot day is better than a tumble dryer – it’s free, better for the environment and, in my opinion, clothes look better (fluffy towels excluded).’
3. Not being strategic about closing my curtains
(Image credit: Hillary)
On a hot day, I always mean (but often forget) to sneak upstairs at noon to close the curtains in our south-facing bedroom – it makes a world of difference to how cool the room feels at bedtime, keeping it close Ideal temperature for sleeping.
‘Homeowners often leave curtains and blinds open to enjoy natural light in south-facing rooms, but this creates a greenhouse effect that is very difficult to reverse once the sun goes down,’ explains Rich Millard. ‘However instead of closing thin indoor curtains, use heavy, light-coloured curtains or, ideally, external shutters or even blinds.’
I didn’t really feel the effect using the right kind Bedroom curtains Can help here.
‘Heavy materials in dark fabrics and aluminum or dark wood blinds absorb heat,’ explains Kevin Pennington. ‘This makes the room significantly warmer than it should be. A great way to get white or light colored curtains around this and fit close to the glass to reflect the light away. Heat reflective film on the window and its revs also really help.’
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4. Not addressing my lack of adequate loft insulation
While this one takes a little more work to get right than some others, I’m terribly aware that one of the main reasons my house gets too hot upstairs is a lack of fit. Loft insulation.
‘There is a common belief that insulation is only for keeping heat in during the winter. In fact, poor or poor insulation allows external heat to penetrate through roofs and walls more quickly in the summer,’ explains Rich Millard.
‘An uninsulated loft with dark tiles or slates is effectively larger heater,’ quips Kevin Pennington. ‘The tiles or slates become red hot during the day due to which the air temperature is up to 50 degrees Celsius in some cases. If there is no insulation between the loft and the house, the heat in the ceiling above the room can become very hot.’
5. My air conditioning is not being used properly
(Image credit: Vonhaus)
Whenever a heatwave hits, you can guarantee there will be a rush Portable air conditionersAnd for good reason. I recently got my hands on this Portable Air Conditioner from Vonhaus And it really does make a difference so quickly, but only now have I realized that I can use it more effectively.
‘The mistake I see all the time is that people try to cool the room they’re in, while letting the warm air escape the rest of the house,’ explains. Tom Holker, Air conditioning Installation and Service Specialist and Director Holk Air. ‘Cool air escapes quickly from open interior doors, stairwells and unused rooms, so the AC chases the heat rather than controlling the space.’
So how should I use it? ‘Treat it like zoning, block off areas you’re not using, keep airflow around the unit clear and let one space cool properly rather than asking it to fight the whole house,’ advises Tom.
Tom Holker
Tom Holker is director of Manchester-based Holk Air, heating and cooling specialists. Tom has over 10 years of experience working in the HVAC industry and rose from building services engineer to director of his own air conditioning company. He is an expert in air conditioning, refrigeration and heating and as someone who works at every level can provide expert commentary on all aspects of the industry.
FAQs
Can a room be cooled using a fan?
This Best fans They can certainly provide some relief during hot spells, but it’s important to understand their limitations, as well as the most common ones Fan mistakesIf you want to get the most out of your particular unit.
‘Just don’t point the fan at you. Use a fan to move air indoors to prevent hot spots, or place a fan near a window to help draw cool outside air more efficiently at night,’ advises Rich Millard.
Some people swear by putting a bowl of ice behind the fan to cool the air – I actually tried this and found it surprisingly effective.
While fans can provide a very welcome breeze in hot weather, it’s important that you understand Where not to put the fan If you want to experience maximum benefits.
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