How to cool a room without air conditioning: salvation from the summer heat

Already at the end of May, residents of Russia felt that hot days were coming. In the morning we began to wake up earlier, but not because we went to bed earlier, but from the hot rays of the sun heating up our rooms, from the sweat flowing like hail... In general, everything speaks of the approach of summer and the heat that everyone was waiting for and which will soon we will all be so desperate to escape.

The best remedy for heat is air conditioning. More and more Russian apartments can boast of this blessing of civilization. But what to do if there is no air conditioning in the apartment? How to escape the heat? Don't give in to her mercy.

You can find a huge variety of options on the Internet. AiF.ru studied them and selected the four most effective ways that will help you survive without air conditioning even in the most extreme heat.

Questions and Answers How to avoid getting sick from the air conditioner in the office?

Systematic ventilation of the room

Creating a constant flow of air can lower the temperature in the room. Remember some points:

• The lowest temperature is recorded in the time period from 4 to 7 am. It is at this time that it is worth saturating the room with freshness and coolness. If you can’t imagine how you can wake up so early, then open the windows the night before at 22.00-22.30.

• Ventilation is perhaps the most effective way to cool down, if you don’t break your schedule.
• If you open the windows at 12-16 o'clock, you will only worsen the situation, because the room will be filled with scalding air.

Wet cleaning

This method is similar to the moisturizing method mentioned above. If you wet as many surfaces in the house as possible, especially metal ones, they say it will become easier. In fact, the method can only be called working with a stretch. Experiments show that in the first minutes after wet cleaning, the temperature actually drops slightly, but very quickly returns to its previous levels, and the one who started this wet cleaning will not even have time to notice this insignificant result, since he will be drenched in sweat after physical activity .

It is better to use the above methods in combination - then the result will be much better. For example, we ventilate well at night, close the windows and blinds during the day, turn on the fan and put ice in front of it. We enjoy the resulting effect.

Systematic humidification of the apartment

• To cool a room by 2-5 degrees in hot weather, regularly humidify the air. This can be done using an ordinary spray.
• The heat is felt even more strongly if the humidity in the house is low, but high humidity is also not acceptable. The main thing is the right balance.
• To cool down, you can hang wet clothes around the room or spray water on the curtains from a spray bottle.
• Place containers of water around the perimeter, and if desired, you can flavor it with a few drops of aromatic oils of citrus, mint or lavender.
• We recommend filling the dishwashing detergent container with running water. Spray the liquid over the entire area of ​​the apartment every hour. And for greater effect, spray a little liquid on yourself. With evaporation, the body will noticeably cool.

Stay hydrated

Moisture also helps you escape the heat. And there are a huge number of possibilities for using water to cool rooms.

You can probably start with a spray bottle. By periodically spraying moisture from it into the apartment, you can reduce the temperature inside. You shouldn’t go overboard with this either, unless you want to turn the room into a steam room. It will be enough to spray water once an hour to an hour and a half.

An automatic air humidifier can replace fussing with a spray bottle. He will do all the work for you. To further cool the apartment, we can recommend adding regular ice to a container of water that will be sprayed in the apartment.

The next method is as old as time - soak towels in cold water and hang them around the apartment. It will look at least strange, but it will still help lower the temperature in the room - it has been tested by generations of our ancestors.

Moisture can be used not only to cool the apartment, but also to escape the heat yourself. This can be as simple as wetting your head in cool water, or periodically taking a full, cool shower. This will not make your apartment any colder, but you will be able to forget about the heat for a certain time.

As a last resort, you can combine the last two ways to combat the heat - hang a damp, cold towel around your neck, as athletes do.

Article on the topic

How to choose the right humidifier

Using foil to cool a room

Oddly enough, this material copes well with high temperatures.

• Buy rolls of 5 meters or more.
• This material should be glued to walls or windows on any side. To achieve maximum effect, cover the entire glass area.
• This method is especially relevant if you live in an apartment whose windows face the southwest and south. It is there that the greatest intensity of sunlight is observed.
• You can also use foil to cool your house in hot weather because the material prevents the sun from penetrating carpets, furniture and other interior elements, the heating of which causes an increase in temperature.
• Research by scientists has proven that any room is heated not just by the air, but by the objects on which the rays fall. Heated objects exchange heat with the air, which is what causes suffocating heat in the house.
• The only negative is the aesthetic component. Foil pasted on walls and glass does not add beauty to the interior.

Turn off the light

The simplest and most logical way to cool a room is to block light. Not just direct sunlight, but light in general. This is worth doing even in cloudy weather. The fact is that thermal (infrared) radiation enters the room not only directly from the sun, but also in a diffuse form through the clouds .

To do this, it is best to install white, iron or fabric blinds. Regular curtains are less effective. The lighter the barrier, the better it reflects thermal radiation. You can also cover the glass with food foil. But there is a minus - it reflects IR radiation into the room, worsening the cooling of the room at night.

Blackout curtains

Thick curtains not only give the room coziness and beauty, but also help regulate the air temperature.

• Starting at 8:00 a.m. or even earlier, draw the curtains tightly to keep the sun's rays out.
• Buy thick, heavy curtains and cover windows facing south.

Interesting! Curtains are considered impenetrable if not a single ray of light penetrates through the straightened fabric.

• Do not buy products made from synthetic materials, as they will make the heat worse when heated.

Turn everything off

It's no secret that all household appliances emit heat during operation. Even the same refrigerator that is supposed to cool does so only inside itself. It gives off a huge amount of heat outside, which remains in your apartment. Turning off the refrigerator, of course, is an extreme measure, but you can think about minimizing the use of all kinds of vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, curling irons, irons, computers and even televisions.

This advice especially applies to the kitchen, in which, as a rule, the air temperature is several degrees higher than in the rest of the apartment. In hot weather, you should cook less on the fire - this greatly affects the ambient temperature.

You can turn off something else in your apartment. We are talking about a heated towel rail in the bathroom. As a rule, it is connected to a hot water pipe and, in addition to its main function, also serves to heat the bathroom. But when the central heating is turned off, it does not turn off and continues to work all year round. Usually it can be turned off by closing the two valves leading from the riser to the heated towel rail. If there are no such valves in your case, you can try wrapping it in foil. This should prevent heat from the heated towel rail from entering the apartment.

7 rules for surviving extreme heat

More details

Cooling blinds

If you don’t want to cover your windows with foil, you can easily replace them with blinds.

• Thin stripes, closed all day, block up to 90% of sunlight.
• Decide on the material from which the strips will be made. For maximum sun absorption, it is better to choose wooden ones.
• Blinds should be effectively washed at least a couple of times a year.
• To create a cozy atmosphere, choose fabric vertical Roman blinds.

The right film

A great way to protect yourself from sunlight is a tint film. But when choosing it, two factors should be taken into account:

1. Light transmittance;
2. IR reflection level.

The level of light transmission determines how much light will be reflected outward. This is important, because the tinting will remain on the windows during the cold season. Then it will reflect sunlight, which is not very good.

IR radiation is the main carrier of heat. The better the film reflects infrared light , the cooler the room will be during the day. But keep in mind that the tinting will remain on the windows for the winter. It will prevent the room from warming up.

Tinting films with different light transmittance.

Getting rid of unnecessary things

Have you noticed that in the summer it’s a pleasure to walk on the bare, cool floor?

• The solution to the problem is to get rid of the carpet and send it for cleaning. It is this that becomes a light reflector that prevents coolness from the floor from penetrating into the room.
• If you have wall hangings, it is best to remove and clean them as well.
• When removing the floor covering, check the condition of the floor. If it is too wet, fungus may appear on the surface. Remove mold and treat surfaces with primer.

We save electricity

Any household appliance is a source of heat. For example, a working TV emits enough thermal energy to heat several square meters . Therefore, all unnecessary equipment should be turned off.

Also pay attention to the light bulbs. If the room you need to cool uses incandescent light bulbs, replace them. There are three alternative options:

• Fluorescent lamps;
• Energy saving lighting;
• LED light bulbs.

Homemade air conditioner

It is possible to cool the room with a fan; for this you will need several liters of running water.

1. Fill bottles or bowls with water and place them in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
2. After the water has turned into ice, remove it from the freezer and place it near the fan so that the air currents from the blades blow across the ice.
3. Fans that cool the room will help after just 5 minutes of operation.
4. To prolong the effect, periodically replace the melting containers with new ice ones.

Interesting! Ventilation devices that cool air work by moving air from one side to the other, and during operation their motor gets very hot. Only use them when you are in the room.

Ice and fan

Cutting off the heat coming from the street is only part of defeating it. It is necessary to somehow cool the air, which has already warmed up. Here we need to act decisively. All of you have probably heard at least once that you need to put cold water in front of a fan or bottles of frozen water. This all works, but it can be done even better.

So, you will need a plastic bottle. Pour water, freeze it, take it out of the freezer, cut the bottle (you can use a kitchen hatchet), take out the ice. Somehow we chop it with a knife and add salt. Place the hissing and crackling ice in a large bowl in front of the fan and enjoy the refreshing breeze.

One of the experimenters notes that in 10 minutes the temperature in his room dropped from a terrible 35.50C to a more or less comfortable 260C. The downside is that it takes a long time to prepare, and the ice melts quickly, and within an hour you’ll just have a bowl of warm salt water.

Interesting alternative

It is difficult to cool down without air conditioning and a fan, but there is still an alternative. You can see her in Brazilian TV series. The device is called a ceiling fan. This expensive pleasure (price about 4,000 rubles) is absolutely silent, does not create drafts and does not heat the room with the motor.

Unfortunately, there is no ideal weather. Using the proposed methods, you can cool your living space and increase your level of living comfort in the summer.

How to better cope with the heat

• Drink cool and tonic drinks in small portions. Refuse hot food, eat cold okroshka or cold borscht, salads and snacks. It is better to eat lighter meals. In hot weather, freshly squeezed juices, fresh vegetables and fruits are great;
• Take warm showers regularly. After such water treatments, you will immediately feel cool as soon as you get out of the bath. After taking a shower, do not close the door to the bathroom, let the moisture leave the room and humidify the air in the apartment;
• Wear lightweight clothing made from natural, breathable materials that allow air to pass through. Cotton and linen would be suitable options. Choose bedding using the same principle. Replace the blanket with a sheet;
• If you can't sleep in the heat, experts recommend using a buckwheat pillow. This filler does not retain heat like other types. Don't forget to place a container of ice next to your bed and cool your bedding before going to bed;
• Try to move in the heat as little as possible. Act slowly, deliberately and deliberately.

About climate control

We also try to provide customers with detailed information about our technical solutions. Additional materials are available on our website that reveal the principles of implementing climate control in various rooms:

• climate control and climate control in a smart home;
• ventilation control to provide climate control in houses and apartments.

Briefly, the essence of these solutions is that the control system is integrated with heating and cooling systems into one - a unified climate control system. Otherwise, when the heating and air conditioning systems function as two systems, each with its own climate control, they can work against each other at full capacity (one heats the air to its fullest, and the other cools it to its fullest). Those. full climate control is unattainable in this case.

Wet towel

A simple and effective way to reduce the air temperature in your home is to use towels soaked in water. They should be hung near open windows. However, it is not advisable to leave it overnight, otherwise the humidity level will increase significantly.

An alternative is to wrap a wet towel around your head or place it on the back of your neck. You can wrap an ice cube in a towel and then apply it to the area of ​​the body where the pulse is felt. For example, in the wrist area.

Plant a tree opposite the sunny side (for the long term and if the location allows)

A tree planted near the house will not only decorate the area, but also serve as an obstacle to bright sunlight. Therefore, if the location allows, it is worthwhile to improve the site.

This method will not help now, but on a long-term basis it is a great option.

Where the windows face the sunny side, it is better to plant trees with spreading crowns. The lower branches are trimmed if necessary to ensure normal visibility.

Representatives of coniferous species are considered an excellent option:

• Siberian pine;
• blue spruce;
• juniper;
• fir.

Note: it is better not to plant fruit trees near windows, since the ripening of fruits will attract insects, which will create unwanted discomfort for the residents of the house.

Turning off unnecessary household appliances

Every home has several types of household appliances. The more often it is used, the faster the temperature increases. Like lighting, appliances should also be turned off or their use minimized.

When it's hot outside, you should cook less often on the stove and in the oven. If you need to heat up food, a microwave comes in handy. It is advisable to turn off electrical appliances at least 2-3 hours before bedtime so that the air has time to cool.

Note: even a TV and a computer generate heat, let alone others (such as a towel dryer).

Inverter model

When you intend to use the air conditioner as the only or main source of heat for the room in winter, you should choose an inverter model. It can be used without fear in such cold temperatures that it is impossible to turn on an air conditioner for standard household use, even the most modern and expensive models and brands - down to -18...-30°C. In addition, inverter devices are much more durable, more ergonomic and provide a smaller temperature difference.

The obvious advantages of inverter devices are reflected in their cost: the price of such air conditioners is much higher than models of household systems.

Simple physics

The simplest way is to organize a simple draft. So, by opening windows opposite each other, you can create a powerful flow of air, the movement of which will lead to the fact that the room will become significantly cooler. If all the windows are located on one side, then a household device such as a fan will help. Depending on how low you set it, the faster the cool lower layers of air will rise upward. If you place large containers filled with cool water or ice cubes in front of the device, the cooling effect will be much more significant.

A completely applicable method to freshen the air is to cover all windows and doors with cool, wet sheets. When water evaporates, it produces a cooling effect on the room

It is important to remember that excessive humidity will give a different result - thermal indicators will increase

There is another option from the “school physics” category: it is worth placing two ventilation devices so that the blades of one extend outside the apartment, and the other is located inside. Thus, it is possible to create an additional artificial ventilation system with a significant air flow rate.

Method 8: Cool the sheets in the refrigerator

An interesting and long-known method, used in villages. To sleep comfortably even in the heat, you can place the sheets in the refrigerator or freezer and lay them down before going to bed. The sheets can be dry or slightly damp (if it is comfortable to sleep on such linen).

In villages where not everyone had refrigerators, cellars and wells were used as an alternative, where the air temperature was low enough to cool bed linen.

Advice. Sheets can be placed in a bag or pouch if the refrigerator does not have a no frost function.

Turning off the lights when they are not needed (+ replacing light bulbs)

Lighting devices can heat the air in a room in a short time. Therefore, light sources should be used only when there is a need for them. This way you can stay cool and save on electricity.

Another life hack is to replace conventional incandescent lamps with more modern ones. Since the former heat up quickly, increasing the air temperature, it is better to use other types of lamps with a minimum heating level. These are:

• LED bulbs;
• fluorescent (luminescent).

Note: it is better to give preference to LED products, especially if there are suspended ceilings.

Sleep without clothes (or in cotton/silk pajamas, as a last resort)

To get a good night's sleep in the summer heat, not only the use of suitable bedding will help, but also the absence of any clothing on the body. The method is suitable in cases where it does not contradict moral principles.

Another option is to wear cotton pajamas. It will absorb the sweat that is released throughout the night and give the body the opportunity to 100% rest. Also comfortable will be sets made of silk, which perfectly absorb moisture and dry quickly.