Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer

Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer

Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer

As summer dawns on Zambia the warmer months are upon us. With summer temperatures averaging in the mid-to-late thirties, the humid Zambian summer can be quite uncompromising. In a bid to stay cool under these circumstances it can be tempting to crank up the air-conditioning or plant yourself in front of the nearest fan. But these aren’t the only tricks to keeping cool. There are plenty of ways to buffer your home from the heat without racking up your electricity bill. We explore some ingenious ways to Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer, and have you feeling like DYI champion.

1. Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains are a clever way to block sunlight. Blocking out sunlight will naturally insulate the room/ space and keep it cooler. For the Zambian climate we recommend investing in neutral coloured blackout curtains with plastic backings. We estimate properly installed blackout curtains will reduce heat gain by over 30 percent.

2. Keep Curtains Closed

A simple, clever, efficient and cost effective measure to reduce heat it to keep curtains or blinds closed. Studies place unwanted heat that penetrates from the windows at a very high percentage. This simple trick can reduce and lower indoor temperatures by up to 20 percent and save you significantly on your power bill.

3. Pimp Your Fan

In the event that you do decide to use a fan then we have just the trick for you. Pimp your fan by filling a bowl with ice and placing it in front of the fan at an angle. This simple yet highly clever trick helps the fan distribute extra-chilled and very cool air. It really works!

4. Make Use of Night Air

In Zambia temperatures tend to drop during the night. You can make the most of this and crack your windows open in the evenings to let in the cooler air. By being resourceful you can harness the perfect cross breeze by making use of strategically placed fans. Remember to close the windows and blinds before things get too hot in the morning.

5. Adjust Ceiling Fans

Most people do not realise this but ceiling fans need to be adjusted seasonally. You can maximise your wind-chill breeze effect by setting your fan to run counter clockwise in summer. Set to run counter clockwise and at a very high speed, the fan’s airflow will create a wind-chill breeze effect.

This list of tricks to keep your home cooler in summer is by no means exhaustive. There are numerous other clever tips we can employ to reduce indoor temperatures in the summer.

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