9 useful tips for keeping the home cool and lowering air conditioner consumption
When the scorching heat of summer makes itself felt, the choice of staying cool using the (expensive) air conditioner, or enduring the heat (but saving money) can be a tough decision. Energy costs are high and the aircon's impact is detrimental both for the environment and for one's wallet.
On the other hand, heat exhausts us and sucks energy away from our bodies. What should we do, then? Compromises must be found, trying to make the most of natural ways to refresh oneself and the home environment and use to the air conditioner less and more intelligently. We reveal below some useful tips to do both, without much effort.
To keep the house cool:
- Keep the windows closed during the day, trying to use only the light you need and avoiding the sun from entering directly, especially during the hottest hours. Instead, it is advisable to open up the balconies and windows when the air is cooler: therefore, in the morning at dawn and in the evening after sunset are the best times.
- When you open everything up in the morning, and just before closing up later, wipe the floors with a cloth soaked in cold water and wrung out. The humidity on the wet floor will dry slowly and will give a room some coolness which, with the shutters closed, should last all day.
- Avoid using heat sources as much as possible. Therefore, limit the use of all appliances and artificial light, especially during the hottest hours, paying particular attention not to turn on the oven. Try using stoves and showers during the cooler hours.
- If you keep a fan on, do so by placing a bowl full of ice, frozen water bottles or ice bricks in front of it. It will be much more effective and refreshing.
To use the air conditioner effectively, reducing consumption and costs:
- Think carefully about where to place the air conditioner outlets. It is always better that they are in places where there are no obstacles that prevent the flow of air but, at the same time, that the air does not hit people directly. So, no to air conditioners above beds, sofas or tables. It is also desirable that there is one for each room and not placed in corridors, because the air will disperse too quickly. And it is a good idea to put the air conditioner high up, because cold air descends (but not necessarily at the highest point of the wall). A medium height is fine.
- If you want to optimize consumption, be careful to choose a model and energy class wisely. Try to select a class A model and choose those that adapt their function to the ambient temperature, avoiding waste. There are many on the market with these characteristics.
- Pay attention to the temperature you set on the thermostat, taking care not to lower it too much and always keep it at 24°C or higher, making the most of the dehumidification function.
- Always remember to insulate properly the rooms where there are air conditioners on, closing all the doors and windows properly. In this way, there will be no waste of energy.
- Perhaps the most obvious but useful advice is to keep the air conditioner on for only a few hours (decide how many according to your needs) in the middle of the day, when it is warmer. If you follow the above advice, this will be enough to keep the environment cool for the whole day.
As you can see, it's easy to get great results. Seeing is believing!
