It’s a well-known fact that us Brits eagerly await the warmer weather, only to complain it’s ‘too hot’ as soon as it arrives. It’s not just us feeling the heat, but our homes too – as it turns our living rooms into a sauna and makes it rather difficult to sleep in the bedroom.
Potentially, those of us who work from home could even find ourselves quietly missing the air-conditioned comfort of an office, even if only for a moment or two. As a result, many of us will, well, want to buy a fan – but will also want to know whether it’s better to keep your windows open or closed to keep your home cool.
With hot days that look set to stay, there’s no better time to see what is the best way of keeping your cool…
Generally speaking, you should open your windows if it’s cooler outside than in. There’s no ‘set rule’ for keeping windows open or closed during a bout of hot weather. But at night, it is almost certain to be cooler outside than in your house, so you could keep your windows open to let the cool air in.
Nobody wants those pesky mosquitos coming in though, so opt for a net curtain or something that will block these and flies flying in. And when the day starts to heat up, it may be better to opt for closed curtains and closed blinds instead, just to make sure you’re not actually heating up the whole place.
So, how can you tell if it’s hotter inside or outside? The best way to check is to have a thermometer in both places, and act accordingly depending on the reading.
NHS advice for dealing with a heatwave notes that it’s important to keep rooms that are facing the sun as shaded as possible. It says: ‘Close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors.’
Experts at energy company 100Green also told Metro.co.uk that there specific times you could open the window. They explain: ‘Even though the sky might look blue and crisp, that doesn’t mean the air coming will be too. When it’s hot outside, it’s best to avoid opening your windows when the outside temperature is higher than the inside temperature.
‘In the UK, the average temperature for our homes is around 18°C, so when the weather peaks in the mid-20s in the afternoon, you’ll want to avoid opening your windows until the evening.
‘A good general rule of thumb is to only open your windows first thing in the morning or evening and throughout the night. This usually means avoiding having them open between about 11 am and 3 pm (the hottest part of the day).’
Other tips they gave include opening windows at opposite ends of your home to create a draft. Moving air is cooler than still air, so you’ll create a bit of a breeze and allow the air to circulate better. You can even take it one step further by hanging a damp sheet in front of the open window, which will cool the air as it moves into your home.
Last but not least: consider home safety and security when it comes to leaving windows open. It’s best not to leave windows open if you’re leaving the house, for example. You should also be mindful of keeping them open at night – especially if you live on the ground floor.
