Keep Your House Cool in Hot Weather – 11 Tips You Can Use Today

Houses, especially those in cold weather climates, are built to keep heat in with insulation but what if the hot weather is making your home unbearable to live in during the day or night?  As the world climate gets hotter, people’s health and well being are likely to suffer if houses cannot be kept cool.

In climates that are very hot in summer and cold at nights and in winter, it is particularly difficult to keep heat in during the winter and keeping the house cool in summer but there are ways you can do this with some simple methods.

How to keep your house cool in hot weather

1. Draw your curtains and open them at the right times

In hot weather, the main source of heat in a house is sunlight coming through the windows and only a little heat is transmitted through the walls.  Although we want to open our curtains and blinds to let the sunlight in, this also heats your home up quickly. 

So close your curtains, at least for the windows where direct sunlight is entering, but only do this if they are light or pale coloured as dark coloured curtains will actually keep heat in.

2. Open windows at each end of the house for air flow

This helps create a flow of air through the house so the atmosphere in the home doesn’t get stale and stagnant.  A cross breeze will make the rooms cooler with fresh air entering from one side and pushing warm air out.  Close the doors of any rooms not in use, but keep other doors of rooms open so the cooler air flows to where you need it most.

3. Keep some windows open at night to let cooler air in

As the temperature outside falls at night and gets cooler than it is in your home, keep some windows slightly open to let a breeze in.  Also, keep internal doors open so hot air isn’t trapped within a room.  This will lower the overall temperature in the house.

4. Place frozen water bottles in front of a room fan

Place a frozen bottle or container of water in front of a fan as it circulates so it can chill a room much more quickly than simply a fan moving the air around.  It is better than a bowl of water in front of the fan because of the lower temperature and also less chance of soaking the floor if it tips over.

5. Hang a wet towel in front of an open window

This will help cool down your home quickly when the temperature outside rises.  As the outside air enters, it collects moisture from the towel as it comes in.

6. Roll up rugs and put away

Rugs can trap heat inside a room so put these away while the weather is hot to help you cool down quicker.  They are designed for cold weather climates so aren’t needed in the summer.

7. Don’t use a cooker to heat food when it’s hot outside

Cooking appliances such as ovens and hobs mean more heat in your home.  While it’s hot outside, try not to use them but eat foods that keep you cool, such as salads or water-rich fruits, or meals that can be heated in a microwave.  If that fails, get takeout or go to a restaurant for your meal.

8. Make use of extractor fans to keep the house cool

Extractor fans such as over cookers and in bathrooms can be used to pull hot air out of a house and make it cool when you are at home, before using a room fan to cool you down further.

9. Use energy efficient light bulbs

Switching from regular incandescent light bulbs to energy efficient LED light bulbs will help keep your house slightly cooler.  This is because a lot of the energy that goes into inefficient light bulbs makes heat instead of light due to the material they’re made of.  A halogen bulb is not very efficient either.  LED light bulbs generate the least heat

10. Use electrical appliances wisely so they give off less heat

Electrical appliances give off a lot of heat, especially refrigerators and Televisions.  Every time you open and close the fridge door, the appliance needs to work harder to get the temperature down and so emits the heat out into the room.  Don’t constantly open and close the door. 

If you really need a hot drink, only fill a kettle with as much water as you will need.  Not only will you save energy this way, but there will also be a lot less hot steam going into the room.

You should also consider the size that you need when looking to purchase new appliances.  Do you really need an American style fridge freezer or that huge TV that will cover the entire wall in your room? Usually, the bigger the size, the more heat it will produce.

11. How plants can keep your house cool

Having a few of these can actually help keep your house cool because plants produce transpiration that increases water vapour.  When the temperature rises, plants release water into the air from their leaves and so cool the room around them too.  Some of the best plants to go for are spider plants, the Areca palm and English Ivy.