If there’s one thing that might almost compensate for one of the strangest most heart-wrenching years ever, it’s The Great British Summer. Oh, how magical it is – when it happens. With hope and positivity on our side let’s prepare for the best, and figure out how to keep our homes cool when it gets so blisteringly hot we can do nothing else but complain. Check out these ten top tips:

• Keep windows that are exposed to the sun closed during the day, and open windows at night when the temperature has dropped.
• Windows and ventilation openings NOT exposed to the sun should NOT be closed, but their openings reduced when the outdoor air becomes warmer than the air indoors – this should help keep rooms cool whilst allowing adequate ventilation.
• Close the curtains, blinds or shutters closed to shield your home from the sun.
• Growing plants outside your house can help to shade the walls from direct sunlight.
• Paint your house white so that the walls reflect more heat.
• Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise in summer to push air straight down helping to create a cooling effect and clockwise in winter to pull cool air up.
• Seal gaps around doors and windows, and use draught excluders to ensure the cool air can’t escape.
• Cooking dinner in the backyard or at the park may be a cooler alternative to being in a steamy kitchen too, so make the most of a cool breeze when you can.
• Incandescent lightbulbs might be to blame produce a lot of heat, so switching to energy-saving bulbs can help cool your home (and save on energy bills).
• Place a shallow bowl or pan of ice in front of a fan for an icy-cool breeze that won’t break the bank.

And if you’ve wondered why there’s no mention of air conditioning, well…air conditioners thrust hot air outside, increasing the neighbourhood temperature by 2°C. They are also not particularly eco-friendly; using massive amounts of energy thus adding to global warming.

We hope you have a cool, cool summer!

For all your plumbing and installation needs, feel free to contact the team at AACooper on 01689 485007 or info@aacooper.co.uk – we’re happy to help.


Sources: Environment.sa.gov.au, NewScientist.com and nhs.uk