Summer is a season of hot weather, which can be pretty uncomfortable or even dangerous. One way to stay cool is using AC systems. Another is opening your doors and windows for ventilation. But would doing this reduce temperature or increase heat? Here's what experts have to tell us.
Whether you should open your window depends on the type of air in circulation. If the air outside is cooler, opening your windows can help cool down your home.
However, opening your windows to let in hot air would only make you more uncomfortable during summer. If the air inside is colder, closing your windows can ensure the retention of cool air.
Deciding on how to handle ventilation in your home during summer can be confusing. Keep reading as we explore the best ways to ensure you and your family enjoys the summer without excessive heat.
Reasons To Open Your Windows During Summer
Windows are an essential part of the insulation of a building. The decision to have an open window is often based on personal preference and individual needs, as well as environmental factors such as noise, air quality, temperature, and more.
During summer, when temperatures rise, there are several advantages to opening your windows. Here are some of the key benefits of keeping your windows open.
Save Cost
Although air conditioners help you stay cool and comfortable during the summer, they are a significant source of power consumption. Because of this, they cost a lot of money to operate. Turning off your AC when the temperature becomes too high can save you from spending too much money on electricity bills.
The first step to saving energy is to open a window in your room. Most windows come with sliding latches that can be open or closed with a simple tug. Opening your window makes it possible to maintain a cool temperature inside without using any energy at all!
Allow Inflow of Fresh Air
The lack of fresh air can lead to a lot of health problems. Humans need to have fresh air from outside as it cleanses the body and helps with relaxation. There are many ways to ensure that your home has enough fresh air.
One of the best ways to keep your home or office properly ventilated is by opening windows, even during summer. Poor ventilation is a major issue in many countries worldwide. According to the WHO, these problems are worst in low- and middle-income countries, but can the effects can be found in higher-income countries too.
Poor ventilation can cause various health effects such as asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems. It can also lead to the easy spread of infectious diseases. This can cause a lot of damage to the human immune system and increase the risk of developing chronic diseases.
Reduce Green House Gases
Turning on your air conditioner is one of the most common ways to keep cool in summer. However, it is also one of the largest sources of hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) greenhouse gas emissions. This means that air conditioner owners might want to consider their carbon footprint when using air conditioners.
For air conditioners to be environmentally friendly, manufacturers need to make them more energy efficient with lower emissions. However, you can also help by turning off your AC and using other sources of natural ventilation like open windows.
Enjoy Summer Greenery
Summer is when we can enjoy the greenery around us. During summer, you can watch your garden bloom, and there is a general bright aura. To enjoy the beautiful scenery, you should open your windows more and take in the view.
Open windows allow air and light into your home. They also keep you cool and give you a natural feeling of being outdoors even while you are inside.
Reasons To Close Your Windows During Summer
Summer is the best time for people to spend time outdoors and enjoy the weather. But if you want to stay indoors, here are some reasons you might want to maintain a cool indoor temperature by closing your windows.
Circulation of Colder Air
Closing your windows during summer helps cold indoor air circulate. When it is hot outside, people open their windows to cool down the house. However, this wouldn’t work if the air outside is a much higher temperature than indoor air.
It is recommended to close your windows and doors when the outside temperature is hotter than the indoor air. This will help to retain the temperature inside and keep it at a comfortable level.
Avoid Pollutants
While summer comes with many blossomed flowers and gardens, it can also be accompanied by the faster distribution of pollen-related allergens. If some of your home's occupants, especially children, have allergies, leaving your windows closed during summer would be beneficial.
Apart from pollens, opening windows allow the influx of contaminated air, especially if you live near dumps or production sites. When the air quality outside is poor, you may be better off keeping your windows closed.
Air pollution is a serious health concern. It can have a negative impact on our health and even lead to death. Air pollution is also associated with respiratory problems, asthma attacks, heart disease, and stroke. Children are more vulnerable than adults when it comes to air pollution because they breathe faster than adults do.
Save Air Conditioner Energy
The air conditioner is a device that works to remove heat and make the temperature comfortable. This is done by moving the air in and out of the building. The efficiency of an air conditioner depends on how well it can remove heat from a room and how efficiently it can circulate the cooled air inside.
Closed windows make for better cooling with an air conditioner, as there are no additional sources of heat coming into the room. This means less work for your AC unit, which can in turn save energy.
What Is The Best Window For a Summer Home?
The purpose of building a summer house is to provide temporary shelter to escape the city's heat during summer. There are many reasons why people decide to build summer houses. One advantage is that they can be customized to soothe the weather.
You can use specialized materials to make your summer house more comfortable. An example is by installing triple-pane windows. These kinds of windows are designed in a way that they maintain the temperature inside the house.
Triple-pane windows have three layers of glass that are separated by an air gap. This creates a barrier between the indoor and outdoor air, thereby blocking heat transfer from one to another.
Alternative Ways To Keep Your Home Cool During Summer
Opening windows or running the AC aren't the only ways to cool down in summer. Here are a few other ways to keep you comfortable as the temperature rises:
Use a Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans are an inexpensive and easy way to keep cool during the summer. There are many benefits of using ceiling fans in your home or office. They can help you save on electricity and circulate air.
The most important benefit is that they can help you save on electricity. This is because ceiling fans don't consume as much energy as your AC - they move air around instead of trying to cool it down. You can also use ceiling fans to complement other cooling sources in a room.
Change Your Light Bulbs
Light bulbs produce heat as they work to convert electricity into light. The amount of heat generated by a light bulb depends on the design of the bulb, its power rating, the type of filament, and its color.
Light bulbs produce more heat when used in enclosed fixtures like lamps or ceiling lights, which trap the heat inside.
During summer, some types of light bulbs like the incandescent light bulb can increase the temperature of a room, especially if there's more than one. You can switch them for fluorescent light bulbs that produce up to 70% less heat.
Use Heat Blocking Window Shades
Heat blocking window shades are designed to reduce heat gain and save energy. They are perfect for summertime use. Heat-blocking window shades can be used in a variety of ways and can be positioned on both ends of the window.
They can be placed outside of your home to block sunlight or used inside to block heat from entering through windows or doors. Heat-blocking window shades work by absorbing heat before entering through the window, which keeps rooms cooler in the summer months.
They come in various colors, shapes, and sizes to fit your windows perfectly. These products' most common use case is in commercial buildings, such as offices and restaurants. However, they can be used at home as well.
To Conclude
There is no written rule about opening or closing your window during summer. Open windows can provide both advantages and disadvantages.
One advantage of opening windows in summer is that it can cool the room and provide some fresh air. The cons of opening windows in summer are that it can make the room hotter and increase the risk of being exposed to pollutants.
Now that you know more about the pros and cons of opening your window in different environments, you'll be ready to make the right choice for your home or office.
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