The Philippines is known for its tropical climate and extreme humidity. So far in the last several years, temperatures have climbed above 30 degrees Celsius countless times
Many residents have taken solace in the fact that air conditioning can be found in most public buildings, including malls, offices, restaurants, and bars. But unfortunately, not all homes come with this luxury.
But whether you live in an older house or just happen to live in a place with no AC, it’s still possible to stay cool in the hot summer months! Read on...
1. Cover Your Windows
If left uncovered during the hottest parts of the day, windows will let in direct sunlight, so it is best to put something over it to keep the heat out. Awning or shutters can do the trick because they block sunlight before hitting the glass.
Window shades, like cellular shades, are energy-efficient options to create a barrier with the glass and keep the heat outside and keep the cool air locked inside. Curtains and blackout shades are usually the cheapest and easiest way to help control how much light gets into your home.
2. Rotate Your Ceiling Fan Counter-Clockwise
Believe it or not, ceiling fans have two settings: clockwise and counter-clockwise. In the summer, it should spin counter-clockwise at a high speed in order to provide a breeze in the house. Conversely, the clockwise setting is for the winter and should be used with a slower speed to help move around heat.
Read this article for technical details.
3. Open Windows at Night
The coolest time in the 24-hour cycle is typically just before sunrise in most regions —between 4:00 and 7:00 am. Take advantage of all of this free cool air by opening every available window at night. This eliminates the hot air that built up in the house during the day.
4. Apply Window-Insulating Film
Modern windows typically have a low-E coating embedded in the glass to block ultraviolet rays (UV) from reaching the home's interior. Add another layer of UV blockage by applying low-E film to the inside of the window glass. This low-cost film cuts easily with scissors and clings to the glass with a misting of water.
5. Add Outdoor Window Shades
Residents of tropical areas have long used exterior window shades to block the sun before it reaches the window. Varieties include Bahama shades, Bermuda shades, roller awnings, hood-style aluminum awnings, and roller shutters and sunscreens.
6. Replace Incandescent and Halogen Lights with LEDs
Incandescent bulbs waste 90% of the heat energy they emit, thus making the switch to low or no-heat bulbs, like compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) or LED bulbs can make a huge difference in cooling your home and lowering your electricity bill.
7. Turn On Your Kitchen Exhaust Fan
This is a brilliant idea! Your kitchen exhaust fan sucks out hot, humid air from the room, so this is an easy way to get rid of some heat from your home and save on energy bills. Your bathroom fan works in the same way, so be sure to throw that one on too!
8. Create A Cross Breeze
Fans don’t necessarily make your home cooler since they essentially push around hot air. But if you set up a cross breeze in your home using two fans, this could make you feel more comfortable in warmer temps. To create a cross breeze, set up two flows of air — one to blow cool air and one to pull away hot air.
9. Forget About The Stove And Oven Inside the House
This might be a no-brainer, but using your stove or oven in the summer will only make your home hotter. Avoid these appliances and opt for either a BBQ meal or simple cold recipes for the summer or simply cook outside the house.
10. Plant Vines
Vines will work similarly to installing an awning. These grow quickly and provide a cooling shade by blocking the sunlight heating up exterior walls and reducing the temperature that enters the home.
11. Wear Breezy Clothing
It is important to also focus on keeping yourself and not only the room cool. You can wear shorts instead of pants or sleeveless tops/t-shorts instead of sweaters while you have a fan running. Meanwhile, choosing the right pajama fabrics for sleepwear, like lightweight cotton pajamas is a great option.
12. Drink More Water
Drinking water helps regulate your body temperature and keeps you hydrated. So even though this tip is common sense, it’s still a good reminder. Drinking cold beverages can also help keep you cool even when your home is not.
13. Take a Cold Shower
When all else fails, taking a cold shower is the quickest and surest way to cool down in the heat, even if it only lasts a few seconds!
Install Shade Nets on Your Patio
Aside from its ability to block direct sunlight and prevent it from warming up the patio and the rest of the house, shade nets bring about the protection from Sun's heat and the ultraviolet radiation to which we or the plants might be exposed unknowingly.
14. Create A DIY ‘Air Conditioner’
Put your trays of ice cubes to good use! Fill a shallow pan or bowl with ice and place it in front of a fan. As the ice melts, the fan will pick up the cold water particles and blow them around the room creating a cool mist. Genius, right?
15. Have a Nighttime Cool-Down Routine
Having a cool-down routine is a great way to stay cool in the summer without AC. Not only does it keep your body temperature lower, but it can also help keep your home cool naturally.
Because physical activity creates body heat, start settling down about an hour before bed, and turn off electronics as well. Then, start cooling yourself down: drink plenty of ice water and drape a cold pack on the back of your neck.
“Taking a colder-than-normal shower before bed can help you cool down as well.
If you’ve tried every last house cooling hack and it still feels like you’re walking on the sun, you might want to invest in an air cooler.
It's a lot cheaper and uses less energy than a traditional AC unit and are much cheaper to install.
