Sometimes, cranking up the air conditioning isn’t possible, and it’s during those times that knowing how to keep your house cool really pays off. From letting air in and out of the house at the right time to investing in nifty gadgets like house fans, we're going to discuss ten of the best ways to keep your house cool without air conditioning.
Ways to Keep Your House Cool (Without Air Conditioning)
Let’s face it, life is a whole lot easier with air conditioning, especially during those hot summer months when merely walking outside feels like stepping into a hot bowl of soup. But when the air conditioning is down, or you simply don’t have one, fear not for there are numerous nifty ways to keep your house cool without running the air conditioner.
Here are nine of the best ways to cool your house without air conditioning.
1. Install and Use Ceiling Fans
One of the first steps to go about cooling houses without air conditioning is by installing ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are lifesavers during hot spells when the smallest of breezes brings sweet relief from the sweltering heat. Many models can push and pull air, allowing you to dissipate hot air and circulate cool air in its place.
If you don’t already have ceiling fans, you should consider installing them now before the hottest months come. Even if you have one or two, you may want to consider adding more. All of the places you spend the most time in your home can benefit from these out-of-the-way fans.
2. Put Box Fans in Windows
The next step most people take is placing box fans in their windows. This is especially effective when you have windows on both sides of the house open and fans facing in the same direction. That way, one or two fans blow the old warm air out, and one or two pull fresh cool air in.
Keep in mind, while using box fans in your windows, that you need to have them facing the correct direction for the time of day and temperature outside. If it is hot, face them towards the source of the heat - outside. When it is cool in the morning and evening, turn them inward.
3. Use Breathable Sheets (And Try Freezing Them)
A quick and easy way to cool down at night, or whenever it is that you do your sleeping, is by using breathable sheets. The more breathable your sheets are, the less body heat they trap. When it is already hot in your room, every little bit of coolness helps make things more comfortable.
You can also try freezing your sheets whether they are breathable or not. The cool sensation may not last forever, but it can definitely help take the edge out of the heat while you fall asleep.
4. Flush Hot Air (At Night)
As simple as it may be, merely opening the doors and windows to let out the hot air every night can make a world of difference in your home when there is no air conditioning to help keep things cooled down. The best time to do so is once the sun has fully set and the night air is cooler than the hot daytime. Letting the hot air escape outside slightly lowers the overall temperature of your home, to say the least.
If you have skylights or windows on your upper floor, be sure to open all of those. Hot air rises up and it will rise right out those windows and pull cooler air in, like a chimney.
5. Trap Cool Air Inside (In the Morning)
As with letting hot air out, letting the cool air into your home is a great way to take advantage of nature to help cool things down. Once you have let the hot air out at the end of the day, leaving windows and doors open for an extended time to allow the night in, will definitely help manage things even if it's just until the sun comes up again.
6. Vent and Insulate Your Attic
Attic fans are typically either gable or roof-mounted. Roof-mounted fans are installed on the exterior of your roof, while gable-mounted fans are installed right onto your existing vents.
Installing gable mount fans is easy, as they are designed to attach to the existing vents of your attic. To install a roof mount attic fan, you’ll need to cut an opening for it – this is a little more work but it creates a tighter seal and stronger suction, which helps cool your attic more efficiently.
For a cooling solution that adjusts to the weather, you can opt for a smart attic fan, which automatically changes fan speeds depending on the temperature inside your attic. Plus, the smart attic fan is great for DIYers because it’s mostly plug-and-play.
Another way to keep your home cool in the summer is to insulate your attic from top to bottom. This will lower the amount of heat that enters your attic and prevents it from escaping to the rest of the home below.
7. Use a Swamp Cooler
When it is hot and extra humid, a swamp cooler is an excellent alternative to air conditioning. If you have ever misted the air during the summer and walked into it, you have an idea of how swamp coolers work. These coolers work with nature, and evaporative cooling, rather than electricity and chemical reactions like normal air conditioner units.
Using a swamp cooler can keep your house nearly as cool as a couple of window ACs working around the clock. That said, they probably aren’t the end-all solution for replacing an entire central air unit.
8. Use Appliances at the Right Time
Have you ever noticed how much you sweat when you run the dryer, or stand over the stove? Large household appliances can and do raise the temperature of the rooms they are in. That is why if you are trying your best to beat the heat, you should restrict your usage of these appliances to strict morning and nighttime hours.
9. Switch to No-Heat Light Bulbs
Another nifty little trick for keeping your house cool is by switching from regular light bulbs to no-heat versions. You can pick up no-heat light bulbs at just about any department store these days. You can also buy them online if you can’t find them in your area.
Like with using your appliances only during certain times, changing all of the bulbs in your house to no-heat bulbs isn’t going to provide you with much of a temperature change. But it will help you extend and regulate what coolness you do manage to keep during the day.
Stay Cool, Y’all!
Whatever your reasons are for wanting to learn more about how to keep your house cool without air conditioning, hopefully our article has helped to provide you with at least a few new methods to try out. We suggest starting with fans and mastering the whole letting hot air out and cool air in jazz, and going from there. But if things get too warm for you in the meantime, head to the basement and break out the lawn chairs to cool down.