How to Cool Your Home More Naturally
In a sense, the pandemic has made us less wasteful and more environmentally friendly. We travel less, use less public transport, and support more local businesses. But now that we’re in the middle of summer, at home all day in the stifling temperatures, and still trying to look presentable for a conference call, using our air conditioner probably doesn’t impact the environment (or our bank accounts). favors.
I have always found it difficult to effectively cool my home considering we have central air conditioning on the ground floor and window air conditioners in the upstairs bedrooms. But this summer, more than ever – as the three of us spend all day at home in different parts of the house – we’re making it a priority to cool more naturally and efficiently before we jump straight to our favorite thermostat.
To learn more about reducing power consumption, watch the video below:
I found that there are several strategies we can all implement to reduce the number of AC triggers we will need to get through the summer.
Close up shades
It’s not easy for me. I don’t just love natural light, I feel that my mental well-being depends to some extent on a lot of it – especially now. At the same time, I am aware that all this beautiful natural light comes from the sun, which lifts my spirits and warms my home.
If no one is home for most of the day (haha), close all the blinds and curtains on your windows – or do your best and put in a bunch of darkening rooms – to keep the temperature from going up while you’re away. But if, like me, you work from home and can’t completely darken your world, try closing the curtains on windows facing the sun, in rooms or floors you don’t use.
Another option is solar window film , which blocks some of the rays and reduces glare.
Communicate with your fans strategically
I have lived in Arizona for almost ten years and have often heard the phrase there: “ Fans don’t cool rooms; fans of cool people. In other words, it seems that the room with the fan is cooler, not because the movement of air lowers the temperature (it is not). This is because air flows through your skin, reducing perspiration. But you can also use fans to pump hot air out of the room. Writer Dan Seitz explains how inthis Popular Science article :
Start by placing electric fans in the windows (if they open). Try to mount the blowers as high as possible, ideally on the top flap. They should be facing outward to pump hot air out of the room. If you have a two-story home, concentrate your fans in the top-floor windows (or at least lower the top sashes of those windows), where they can help convection pull hot air up and to the side.
Ceiling fans can also help. If you have them, look up and make sure they rotate counterclockwise. Thus, they draw hot air up and away from you.
Seitz also suggests using fans to create a side breeze, where one fan cools you on one side and a window fan on the other draws warm air out of the house.
Green
For example, plants. Houseplants absorb warm air and release oxygen and cool moisture into the air, which helps to reduce the ambient temperature.
Aloe vera and succulents are a good place to start, as are any greenery that does not require frequent watering, as these plants absorb water from the humid air around them. Other good choices are snakes, palms, benjamin ficus and rubber plants. Place them in a sunny window for the added bonus of blocking light from entering your home.
Don’t add to the heat
This might be common sense, but it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself that on especially spicy days, one of the best things you can do is cut down on your use of hot appliances. Ovens and dishwashers in particular operate at high temperatures, so on days like these, wash your dishes by hand and stick to simple raw foods or foods that can be heated at a lower temperature, such as in a microwave or multicooker.
One thing you should run? Dehumidifier. Removing all that moisture from the air will make things more bearable.
If you’ve done all of this but still can’t cool off? It’s okay, come on, turn on the air conditioner for a while. Your efforts have reduced the amount of energy required to restore a comfortable temperature in your home.
This article was originally published in May 2019 and was updated on June 29, 2020 by Megan Moravchik Walbert.