Ways to Cool Your House Without Air Conditioning

This year’s summer temperature has gone through the roof. Those lucky enough to own an air conditioner will most likely turn it up to the max to get as cool as possible. However, that makes another thing go through the roof—the electric bill!

In addition, power outages are reportedly affecting some parts of the country. The sheer number of air conditioners in operation can overload the power grid, leading to breakdowns in some parts of the power infrastructure. To cope with high consumer demand, some power providers even schedule outages.

Faced with this situation, consumers might need to explore alternatives other than power-hungry air conditioners for staying cool. It's worth reflecting on how people managed to stay cool before electric fans became common household items. Interestingly, some of the methods we'll discuss may have their roots in those pre-fan days.

First, let’s look at the methods that need no extensive modification to the house.

Pay attention to the air movement in your room.

Photo by Delaney Van via Unsplash.

1. Adjust fan placement to improve air flow.

Many people instinctively point electric fans directly at themselves to cool down. However, this might not be as effective as you'd think. While aiming multiple fans at yourself might seem logical, it can actually trap hot air in one spot. For a room to cool effectively, air needs to circulate freely. This means pushing hot air out of the room to make way for cooler air to come in, a process known as heat transfer.

One way to do this is to aim an electric fan at yourself and the other fan at the other direction, say, through a window or a door, working as an exhaust fan. If you are in a room with only one window on one side, you can place the two fans on either side, one facing yourself and other facing out. This creates airflow, drawing cooler air in from outside and pushing hot air out. Feel free to experiment with fan placement, adjusting their positions and directions for optimal results.

Since we're already talking about using fans for exhaust purposes, it's worth examining actual exhaust fan products. Although commonly associated with kitchen use for eliminating odors, their primary function also includes removing heat from an area. Placed high in a room, exhaust fans are designed to capture rising hot air and expel it outside. Therefore, installing an exhaust fan in your bedroom could be a cooling strategy worth considering.

Pay attention to the air movement in your room. If opening the door brings in cooler air compared to the window on the other side, then place your intake fan near the door and have the exhaust fan facing out the window. On the other hand, if cooler air comes from the window, then position your fans accordingly, reversing their placement. You can set up fans to circulate wind in a rotating motion within the room, which helps create a cooling effect.

Many experts recommend ceiling fans since these counteract the upward rise of heat. However, they are most effective if cool air from the outside is brought in to cool the room. If placed in a fully enclosed area with poor ventilation, the ceiling fan will only keep the warm air in and be ineffective.

Placing ice or frozen bottles in front of your electric fan to produce cool air.

Photo by Freepik .

2. Enhance the capabilities of your electric fan.

There are other hacks to provide relief, such as placing ice or frozen bottles in front of your electric fan to produce cool air that can be directed towards you. If you have a water-spraying bottle that emits a mist, you could use it to spray mist into the air between you and your fan, creating a makeshift misting fan. Some have devised makeshift water fountains to be placed in front of the fan, creating yet another type of misting device.

An awning or partial roofing above a window or other opening not only protects against rain but also shields from the sun.

Photo by Freepik.

3. Get extra overhead cover for the house.

These days, products like mesh sheets, canvas covers or other additional materials could be added to supplement the roofing of one’s house. One content creator on YouTube, for example, mounted a mesh net over his house’s roofing, acting like a second roof. The sun is the main source of heat and the less layers you have between you and the sun, the hotter it gets. Every layer of roofing that you put between you and the sun can significantly reduce temperatures.

If you have a roof deck or an open area exposed directly to the sun, it won't be the only hot spot; the room below it will also heat up. This is particularly true for houses made of concrete, as concrete absorbs and retains heat throughout the day, making it crucial to shield concrete from heat exposure. Installing iron or plastic roofs over roof deck areas is vital. If GI (galvanized iron) sheet roofing proves too costly, a mesh net or tent can serve as temporary roofing.

An awning or partial roofing above a window or other opening not only protects against rain but also shields from the sun. If your window is without an awning, you can install awning products. Some of these products, ready for installation, are made of fabric; as an alternative, you could opt for more affordable construction materials, such as polycarbonate.

Another treatment for roofing is to repaint the roofs with heat-absorbing paints. Yes, such a product exists, and it is one solution for improving the heat resistance of roofs.

4. Manage humidity.

One reason for the intense discomfort when it’s hot is the humidity. After all, we live in a humid country. You might want to add something to manage humidity in your house, such as mechanical dehumidifiers.

The higher the ceiling, the more air can circulate within the house.

Photo by Freepik.

5. Incorporate cooling features in house design.

Now, we get to perhaps the most intensive and expensive method of house cooling, which is the design of the house itself. Indeed, cooling a dwelling begins with its architecture and basic structure. If you were fortunate enough to hire an architect knowledgeable about house cooling features, your house likely already includes these elements. In fact, such cooling features were standard in houses built in the 1950s and 1960s. You might recognize some of these features discussed below:

a. Orientation. The orientation of a house significantly impacts its temperature. Homes aligned with the compass directions tend to have one side, typically the east or west, exposed to more heat. Conversely, houses positioned at an angle to these directions—appearing slightly tilted in comparison to the compass— experience reduced sun exposure, especially those equipped with features like awnings and roof extensions to further minimize heat intake.

b. Ventilation. As explained above, ventilation or the circulation of air in and out of a house is essential for natural cooling. You may have noticed that some older houses had ventilators in certain parts of the house. Ventilation louvers were also mounted on dividing walls, ensuring air circulation throughout. Some houses had ducting not for air conditioning, but for natural ventilation and cooling. It is possible to retrofit this feature into 21st-century housing, although it may involve creating some openings in walls.

Ceiling height also contributes to coolness. The higher the ceiling, the more air can circulate within the house. Buildings from the Spanish and American eras often featured really high ceilings (something like three meters or more).

Take note of wind direction. Where does the wind enter your house, and where does it exit? It makes sense to place a cooling fan or ventilation intake in these areas, while exhaust fans should point the opposite way.

Brise soleil or sun breakers could protect your house from direct sunlight and helped in cooling.

Photo by Lamiot via Wikimedia Commons.

c. Brise Soleil. French for sun breaker, the brise soleil is another notable feature on houses from the 1950s and 1960s. They can take the form of what looks like a jalousie panel covering a window, or a wall with these intricately designed holes located in front of doors. These sun breakers were shading devices that protected the house from direct sunlight and helped in cooling. If you don’t have a brise soleil yet on your house, it is possible to retrofit it.

d. Roof insulation. If you've seen foil-like sheets under galvanized iron (GI) roofing, those are a common type of roof insulation. GI or plastic sheeting alone can be one of the warmest types of overhead cover. If parts of your roof are covered only with GI sheets or similar materials, it's a good idea to install insulation underneath.

These are just a few ways to cool down your house without needing air conditioners. Other methods worth mentioning include applying dark tint to your windows, using curtains or blinds, and reducing reflective surfaces within the house. While nothing beats air conditioning, owners of air conditioners might still seek ways to reduce their electric bills. Any of these methods could help achieve that goal. Besides, they significantly contribute to today's initiatives to cut down on energy consumption.