Summertime in Edmonton can be scorching, but simply turning up the air conditioning isn’t always the most economical solution. We’re here to help you discover a few practical ways to cool your home without using power so that you can relax and enjoy being inside this summer.
Window Management
Correctly utilizing your windows is key for regulating the temperature of your home during summer. When the sun is landing on your window, get the blinds shut. Ideally you’ll use blackout shutters or curtains (which basically stop any heat or light getting through), but any kind of cover will work.
Use soft lights, low-energy lights inside to replicate the sun’s brightness and you’ll notice a definite coolness.
When the sun is on the other side of the building, get the windows open! This will generate a cool airflow which can roll through the house.
Pro-Tip: Open your windows at night to allow cool air into the home. During summer afternoons, your home is often cooler than the air outside, so keep your windows closed until the temperature drops below the temperature indoors.
Listen to Your Body
When we talk about cooling “the house” down, we usually mean cooling ourselves down to be more comfortable – that can be more easily done than you might think! Sipping cool drinks is a favourite method, since it’s usually tasty in addition to being cooling.
Iced towels, damp clothes and “frozen” pillow cases (chuck your case in for an hour and it comes out pleasantly cool) are all ways of dropping your personal temperature and making the house seem more pleasant.
Of course, most of the time a simple fan blowing air in your direction is sufficient. This constant circulation can cool you down efficiently nearly anytime. While a fan does use power, it’s dramatically less than running an air conditioner.
Trash the Incandescent Lights
If you haven’t taken this step for environmental reasons already, we strongly recommend swapping your incandescent light bulbs (the ones which have the glowing heating element in the middle) with energy efficient ones, such as LEDs.
Incandescent bulbs produce an awful lot of heat (ever tried touching one after it’s been on a few minutes?) and over the course of the day it all adds up. Even worse, they use up a lot of electricity to produce that much heat – removing them also cuts your energy bill to save you money.
Check out this program, run by the Alberta government, that provides no-cost installation of energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures.
Use Linen Sheets
During the day we can mess with the windows, sip cool drinks and actively cool ourselves down; at night, when we’re trying to sleep, we don’t have that luxury. One thing you can do is use light, airy linen sheets to remove as much heat as possible.
Many people choose silk because it’s so light, but silk traps heat much more effectively than linen and can make your situation even worse.
