Ask Lemmy

Lose weight. I'm totally serious. Thin people have much higher natural tolerance for heat.

It's no coincidence that so many developed countries have become addicted to AC. The fact is that most people there are now overweight and in many (USA most obviously) over 40% are literally obese. Conversely, AC is much less common in places like France and Japan, and it's not just because they're too cheap.

If you want to stay cool in a heatwave, it helps not to be wearing a blubber overcoat that you can't remove.

I put foil insulation on some of my bigger windows in the summer. Especially southern facing windows (in northern hemisphere). That mixed with tons of fans and the occasional cold towel when needed helps tremendously.

Look at old hot climates.

notice the afternoon siesta. Sleep in the shade in the hot of the day and work (play) later into the night.

notice large covered porches around the house. Spend more time outside in the breeze and shade.

notice the large windows and doors. When you are inside get plenty of ventilation-

notice the ceiling fan (often slave pulled). Be glad we now have electric fans.

notice the folding hand fans. Portable fans exist, though most of the time the hand fan is better - get one.

Something I haven’t seen mentioned is an attic fan. They’re mounted on the ceiling of your highest floor. These used to be common before AC became so widespread. Basically, you open your windows, and the fan sucks air in through the windows, through the house and up into the attic, where an exhaust fan can push it out.

As a northern Canadian, I kinda chuckle at the need for an air conditioner. Of course, my punishment in winter.

Fans! push and pull air according to wind direction

Drink alot of water, then try to pee in the air and catch it with your mouth, all the sudden the heat is the least of your problems.

Only fans.

Most importantly: Make sure no direct sunlight enters the house. Insulate your roof. Plants in the house can have a modest cooling effect. Close doors to rooms that get hot faster. Lower floors (especially cellars) are cooler, with a small ventilator this cooler air can be transported upwards. At night, use small ventilators to “pump” cool night air through all the floors.

Related

Apparently window awnings make a considerable difference.

Lüften (airing out)

If you live in a humid area, AC will become more and more valuable. Wet bulb temperature. At some point your sweat will no longer evaporate and you'll die. Climate change cometh.

As someone from the equator with hot and humid air, this thing is common, it allow hot air in the attic to escape so the hot attic won't radiate into your house, while sucking fresh air into your house. Plant surrounding your home exterior also will help with the cooling as well, especially when it stop light from hitting your wall. I usually just open everything during day, but open everything during night will also help circulate the hot air heated by the heat-trapping concrete wall. As of now i can't open during night because my cat will escape, so i just use ac for half hour or so.

Air flow was key. Tried to get a good cross breeze from one end of the house to the other (unless the breeze is also hot). At night, we'd use a box fan in the window or door to get all the hot air out. If you can block your exterior walls/windows from getting direct sunlight, that should help. Curtains work (or you could also just place objects or plants in front to block the sunlight). Alternatively, you could install one of those large roll up sun shades for a more permanent solution. Did that for a few windows that get a lot of sun and made a big difference.

From personal experience, the following made a difference (but some will have a lot higher cost):

1. Replacing the insulation in the roof/attic. You could also add radiant barriers, but insulation is probably a better bang for your buck.
2. Insulating the exterior walls (drill and fill). Our walls used to be hot to the touch in the summer before this.
3. Double pane windows
4. Seal any air gaps or holes. Expanding foam is pretty good at this.

From what others have told me:

1. Installing a whole house attic fan to evacuate hot air at the end of the day. My neighbor did this and swears by it.
2. Painting your house a lighter color. Can't say how effective but makes sense intuitively.

Stuff that only sort of worked:

1. Swamp coolers. Works ok in a pinch, but your house will feel humid like the tropics. Would personally skip.
2. Portable AC. The exhaust hose gets hot so it's not as efficient as an external AC or window unit. But it could help if you're directly in front of the cold air vent.

Wet curtains, and if that's not enough a wet towel on the head (not your home, I know, but something to remember when your brain threatens to overheat and you've got no energy left to pursue another solution.

Using a reflective surface such as aluminum foil on the windows (shiny facing outside) will help. I've used contact spray adhesive on cardboard cut to size of window before. You can also get the bubble-wrap aluminum insulation.

Cut temps in my old studio from food-safe poultry temp to near ambient on the 100+F/40+C days.

Blackout curtains on the sunny side reduce a lot of daytime heat.

Just get AC, it works so well for de-humidifying too.

But otherwise blackout curtains can help a bit but also radiate heat themselves.

@salcie
On m'a parlé des films solaires adhésifs anti chaleur pour les vitres. Mais, je ne pourrais pas conseiller de marque.

move to Alaska?

Didn't say if you own the home or not, but if so:

Mind it's only hot for 2-4 months out of the year for me, so I have a winterized attic fan. Just means I'm not losing heat in the winter and paid a little more to buy it. You can just get a regular attic fan if it's never or rarely cold where you live.

You leave windows open, but now there's negative pressure from pushing air out the attic where a lot of the heat is trapped and sucking in air from outside even if there's no breeze. I leave the attic access hole open when it's running. The rare day I still use a Window A/C to sleep.