Generally, if your house is decently insulated, keep the windows and blinds closed when the sun is shining. Open the windows in the evening and at night. More specifically, keep the windows closed when the outside temperature is hotter than it is inside, and open the windows when it's cooler outside than inside.
Whilst many people leave windows open first thing in the morning and in the evening - it's important to keep them shut as it reaches the hottest part of the day. The NHS recommends: "Shutting windows and pull down the shades when it is hotter outside. You can open the windows for ventilation when it is cooler."
Opening the window on a breezy warm day may make you feel like you're cooling off your house, but it's an illusion. In fact, while the breeze feels nice, you're actually letting loads of hotter air into your home.
“Close everything,” she advises. “You can open the windows late in the evening and early in the morning – until 9am or so – when it's cool, but otherwise keep them closed.
Open windows on opposite sides of a room or building
If there's not much of a breeze, then you can use fans to help: use one fan by a shaded window pulling in cooler air from outside; use another fan on the sunny side to push hot air out of your home.
'It is worth noting that fans do not actually lower the temperature of the air, but they can make it feel cooler by creating a wind chill effect. As such, they are most effective in rooms that are already relatively cool,' Beatrice adds.
To ensure optimal cooling with a window fan, the US Department of Energy suggests putting it in a window where the wind is blowing away from the house. This helps pull the hot air out of your home. Make sure other nearby windows are closed so the hot air is forced to travel out the window with the fan.
The basic rule of thumb is that you should close your windows when the temperature outside starts to exceed the temperature inside. It may seem counterintuitive, but as the temperature climbs, you'll often make your home warmer, not cooler, by opening the windows.
Thicker walls are slow to absorb and release heat, making for uncomfortable conditions at night. Thus, the walls and floors of old palaces often featured concealed and exposed channels for water to pass through. The flowing water takes the heat from the walls away with it, helping to keep the walls cool.
Sleeping with the window open could inadvertently trigger allergies, asthma or potentially cause illness in someone with an already-weakened immune system. But for most people, it's relatively risk free. Aim to keep your bedroom around 65 degrees with 65 percent humidity.
Reducing Damp on Windows
We would always suggest though that when cooking or showering that you should open the windows to allow the moisture laden air to escape. However, if this is not reducing the damp on the window then there could be another underlying problem that needs to be dealt with first.
Leaving the fan on 24/7 ensures cleaner air, as the air is pulled through the filtration or UV light system. This can be better for people with allergies.
Place your fan so that it faces the opposite wall from where most of the activity takes place in your space. This approach will drive the air to the surface, where it will bounce off, mingling with the rest of the air and cooling the space.
Use a bucket of ice
According to the GHI, placing a bucket of ice in front of a fan as a homemade AC unit is just as effective. 'As the air passes over the ice it will be chilled and will circulate refreshingly cold air around the room,' they explain.
Yes, but they work better in some types of heat compared to others. Ollie Jay, an associate professor in thermoregulatory physiology from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health, said fans can be extremely beneficial in heatwaves, especially when you know what kind of heat you're dealing with.
Dirty air filter—A dirty filter restricts airflow, not letting your home get enough cool air. Closed vents—Closed vents in rooms can cause them to be hotter than other rooms. Open windows—Your conditioned air can flow out of open windows, leaving uneven temperatures in your home.
If your air conditioner isn't keeping up with the heat, your air filter may be to blame. A dirty air filter can obstruct the airflow path through the unit. Using a dirty air filter can also cause less energy efficiency and more costly utility bills.
Avoid turning on the fan during the day when temperatures are high, or when the air is humid, as it provides you with limited or no benefits in your home. If you simply want to keep the inside temperature the same as the outside temperature, you can turn on the fan during a hot day.
The cost of air conditioning
It takes significantly more energy for an air conditioner to move heat around than it takes a fan to blow air onto your skin. As a result, parking yourself in front of a fan is significantly more energy efficient. Fans use around 1% of the electricity consumed by air conditioners.
Although it could run for over a 24 hour period, it is still best to turn off your ceiling fan when you are at work or out of the house for an extended time to give the ceiling fans' motor a rest and reduce electricity use and cost.
By opening your windows when the air is still humid, even if it's cooler, you are letting in all that extra moisture. Results from a study conducted in Florida still ring true today. In that study, researchers focused on a central Florida that had typical furnishings and a lot of carpet.