What are your advices to cool homes without AC ?
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Lose weight. I'm totally serious. Thin people have much higher natural tolerance for heat.
It's no coincidence that so many developed countries have become addicted to AC. The fact is that most people there are now overweight and in many (USA most obviously) over 40% are literally obese. Conversely, AC is much less common in places like France and Japan, and it's not just because they're too cheap.
If you want to stay cool in a heatwave, it helps not to be wearing a blubber overcoat that you can't remove.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]How is losing weight going to help right now? They can hardly lose enough weight in time for the next heatwave.
Or maybe they're in the menopause.
Or maybe it's 50C out.
Or maybe they're on one of the plethora of medications that causes heat intolerance.
Or maybe they're elderly.
AC is horrifically expensive (energy bills) and terrible for the environment, by the way. People aren't cheap, they can't afford it.
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Offices in all countries have AC, the question is about homes. I doubt "practically every household" in Hokkaido has AC. Here in northern Europe, very few do.
My office in Southern Germany doesn't have AC, even though it should. It's the hottest part of Germany.
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Look at old hot climates.
notice the afternoon siesta. Sleep in the shade in the hot of the day and work (play) later into the night.
notice large covered porches around the house. Spend more time outside in the breeze and shade.
notice the large windows and doors. When you are inside get plenty of ventilation-
notice the ceiling fan (often slave pulled). Be glad we now have electric fans.
notice the folding hand fans. Portable fans exist, though most of the time the hand fan is better - get one.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]People in hot climates do not sit outside. They also do not open their windows. Because they're not insane.
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Lüften (airing out)
At night. Not when it's 40C out.
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Hi there, time to share ways to keep your home cool during hot times
So ok, usual ways I use:
- open everything during night
- close everything during day
- external sheets on windows without shutters
- some curtains to prevent heat from going upstairs
I was also wondering if plants could also help inside, any ideas ?
Share your advices !
Years ago I was watching Doomsday Preppers and one fella dug a long trench, 100 foot if I'm not mistaken.
In the trench he laid a large PVC pipe and filled in the trench. At the far end of the pipe there was an air inlet. He ran the pipe into his basement and up inside a wall with an inline fan. Cool air, as well as fresh air.
Didn't do anything for the humidity, I suspect.
He claimed it worked, I can not confirm.
It does make since as it's about 4c/39f four feet/1.2m underground.
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Something I haven’t seen mentioned is an attic fan. They’re mounted on the ceiling of your highest floor. These used to be common before AC became so widespread. Basically, you open your windows, and the fan sucks air in through the windows, through the house and up into the attic, where an exhaust fan can push it out.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]My parents' house has one, and every house needs this.
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Hi there, time to share ways to keep your home cool during hot times
So ok, usual ways I use:
- open everything during night
- close everything during day
- external sheets on windows without shutters
- some curtains to prevent heat from going upstairs
I was also wondering if plants could also help inside, any ideas ?
Share your advices !
Sorry about the content in spanish, but some years ago there were news about someone placing agave or some succulents/cacti in people's roofs, since some species "absorb" the heat, something along those lines.
Here https://youtu.be/BOjYB7qaESEAlso this plant seems to help refreshing the room in general
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_trifasciataI haven't tested them yet since I am just growing my little garden on the roof of my house, but hope something of that helps.
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Sorry about the content in spanish, but some years ago there were news about someone placing agave or some succulents/cacti in people's roofs, since some species "absorb" the heat, something along those lines.
Here https://youtu.be/BOjYB7qaESEAlso this plant seems to help refreshing the room in general
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_trifasciataI haven't tested them yet since I am just growing my little garden on the roof of my house, but hope something of that helps.
Pretty much anything on a roof will cool you down. The soil which will contain water is slower to heat while the plants will be be absorbing solar energy and "perspiring" to cool you down.
Locations under large trees can be locally up to 10 degrees colder in the summer and 10 degrees warmer in the winter.
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Hi there, time to share ways to keep your home cool during hot times
So ok, usual ways I use:
- open everything during night
- close everything during day
- external sheets on windows without shutters
- some curtains to prevent heat from going upstairs
I was also wondering if plants could also help inside, any ideas ?
Share your advices !
Curtains are a god send. Make sure you have them to isolate things coming into and out of your house. So have a curtain to isolate your entry way. That way the heat stays there. Same things at the stairs so you can keep the cool in the baseline while you stay there
Also to note that depending on your house and the outside temp its not worthwhile to open the windows at night. But generally it is better. Make sure you have a fan in the window blowing the hot air out as well. Its best if its upstairs to draw the cool air in.
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Apparently window awnings make a considerable difference.
I have a large room with clear story windows and the entire south wall is windows, in the desert. The roof extends out far enough to block the sun in the summer, but not in winter. In winter during the day it's 90F when it's below freezing outside. The amount of heat trapped from the sun coming in through windows is no joke.
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Hi there, time to share ways to keep your home cool during hot times
So ok, usual ways I use:
- open everything during night
- close everything during day
- external sheets on windows without shutters
- some curtains to prevent heat from going upstairs
I was also wondering if plants could also help inside, any ideas ?
Share your advices !
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I was also wondering if plants could also help inside, any ideas ?
They shouldn't. Plants can raise humidity, but they have no power to break the the laws of thermodynamics. Once heat is in your house you can only really move it out of your house; there is no destroying it in place. Note this does not apply to plants just on the outside of your home, like on a roof.
Watch your use of appliances carefully. Even a fridge generates heat - it might be better to place it outdoors or semi-outdoors if you're going to be really hardcore about your approach.
A better insulated house will keep heat out as well as cold, so all usual tips on building or renovating your envelope apply.
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Years ago I was watching Doomsday Preppers and one fella dug a long trench, 100 foot if I'm not mistaken.
In the trench he laid a large PVC pipe and filled in the trench. At the far end of the pipe there was an air inlet. He ran the pipe into his basement and up inside a wall with an inline fan. Cool air, as well as fresh air.
Didn't do anything for the humidity, I suspect.
He claimed it worked, I can not confirm.
It does make since as it's about 4c/39f four feet/1.2m underground.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]So DIY ground source heating/cooling, basically.
I suspect that's not long and deep enough, but if it is, it will produce air at the local year-round average temperature, at all times. (Whatever that happens to be)
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People in hot climates do not sit outside. They also do not open their windows. Because they're not insane.
In hot and dry climates, a breeze in a shady place works well, actually. In humid places it's harder.
That actually has results counterintuitive to temperate people when it comes to clothing. Arabs don't just cover up for modesty.
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As a northern Canadian, I kinda chuckle at the need for an air conditioner. Of course, my punishment in winter.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]They're becoming more common in the populated areas of Canada, although it's still a minority that has it where I live as well.
Climate change is really obvious at this point, and the smoke is awful...
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So DIY ground source heating/cooling, basically.
I suspect that's not long and deep enough, but if it is, it will produce air at the local year-round average temperature, at all times. (Whatever that happens to be)
Thats basically how earthships are cooled. You can also run the pipe through an evaporative cooler to cool the air even more.
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Thats basically how earthships are cooled. You can also run the pipe through an evaporative cooler to cool the air even more.
You can also run the pipe through an evaporative cooler to cool the air even more.
At some point there, you've just reinvented AC.
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Air flow was key. Tried to get a good cross breeze from one end of the house to the other (unless the breeze is also hot). At night, we'd use a box fan in the window or door to get all the hot air out. If you can block your exterior walls/windows from getting direct sunlight, that should help. Curtains work (or you could also just place objects or plants in front to block the sunlight). Alternatively, you could install one of those large roll up sun shades for a more permanent solution. Did that for a few windows that get a lot of sun and made a big difference.
From personal experience, the following made a difference (but some will have a lot higher cost):
- Replacing the insulation in the roof/attic. You could also add radiant barriers, but insulation is probably a better bang for your buck.
- Insulating the exterior walls (drill and fill). Our walls used to be hot to the touch in the summer before this.
- Double pane windows
- Seal any air gaps or holes. Expanding foam is pretty good at this.
From what others have told me:
- Installing a whole house attic fan to evacuate hot air at the end of the day. My neighbor did this and swears by it.
- Painting your house a lighter color. Can't say how effective but makes sense intuitively.
Stuff that only sort of worked:
- Swamp coolers. Works ok in a pinch, but your house will feel humid like the tropics. Would personally skip.
- Portable AC. The exhaust hose gets hot so it's not as efficient as an external AC or window unit. But it could help if you're directly in front of the cold air vent.
Painting your house a lighter color. Can’t say how effective but makes sense intuitively.
Probably makes a big difference. I just measured my patio, grass and driveway temps today with an infrared themometer. Grass was 109, patio was 123, and the blacktop was a whopping 148. My wife has been talking about using a cream or neutral gray finish on the driveway, and a 20 degree difference is definitely worth it.
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You can also run the pipe through an evaporative cooler to cool the air even more.
At some point there, you've just reinvented AC.
Only if you use a better working fluid and add compression and expansion steps, but a long pipe in a ditch filled with water isn't what I would call AC quite yet.
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Only if you use a better working fluid and add compression and expansion steps, but a long pipe in a ditch filled with water isn't what I would call AC quite yet.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Aren't there AC systems that just evapourate water from municipal supplies to the atmosphere?
I mean, yes, I'd agree that blowing air over a standing water body isn't AC, but we're getting close.
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Painting your house a lighter color. Can’t say how effective but makes sense intuitively.
Probably makes a big difference. I just measured my patio, grass and driveway temps today with an infrared themometer. Grass was 109, patio was 123, and the blacktop was a whopping 148. My wife has been talking about using a cream or neutral gray finish on the driveway, and a 20 degree difference is definitely worth it.
Yep, it's a low-tech decision that'll pay dividends. Same reason I'd opt for a white or lighter colored car if it's going to be parked outside.
Should've also mentioned roofing shingles as well. See a lot of houses with dark roofs just soaking up sunlight.
