Did you know that sunlight and darkness can trigger the release of hormones in your brain? Exposure to sunlight is believed to trigger the release of Serotonin, the very hormone that lifts our mood and makes us “feel good”.
But you are not really here for this, aren’t you?
We all know that sunlight is great and healthy for the body but sometimes, a little too much sun makes living rather unbearable. This is especially true if your living room and bedroom are directly exposed to sunlight. Hence, it is important to know how to keep a room cool so that you are able to enjoy your living spaces and go on with your day.
Generally, there are a number of ways to keep a room cool from direct sunlight, including the use of potted plants, ceiling fans, air-conditioners, and curtain systems to regulate airflow and temperature in the house. These elements can reduce the sun’s effect and help make the space more comfortable.
Some of these strategies are inexpensive and can be implemented without much effort. For example, having potted plants on the balcony is a great way to shade from the sunlight without costing much. On the other hand, cooling efforts such as installing double pane windows can be expensive to implement but is a great saving on the utility bills over the long term.
1. Consider potted plants on the balcony
Plants are great at absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen during the day. On top of decorating the home, they can also reduce ambient temperature and remove toxins from the air. If your living room is exposed to direct sunlight, then incorporating potted plants is a strategy worth considering.
So why do potted plants work so well in reducing ambient temperature?
Potted plants create shades against the direct sunlight
If you have potted plants on the balcony, they act as a shade against the warm weather, keeping the apartment cooler. Statistically, an outdoor plant would have done the job better, 1 single outdoor tree can cool a building with as many as 10 room-sized air conditioners.
In our case, the lack of land for an outdoor tree means we will have to resort to a potted plant on the balcony. Nevertheless, potted plants do help to shade the living room from direct sunlight exposure, keeping cooling costs down by adding humidity to the room.
Potted plants increase humidity in the air
For those of you who are unaware, plants do breathe and this process of breathing is known as transpiration. Whenever plants transpire, moisture evaporates from the leaves and is released into the air. This can cool a room and studies by the University of Vermont Extension found that this can help reduce the ambient temperature by as much as 5 degrees Celcius.
It is really affordable to implement
There are many other great benefits to having potted plants incorporated into your living space. These range from psychological benefits to improving concentrations and also reduces utility cost by providing natural cooling elements.
However, the best thing about potted plants is that they are really affordable and they do not cost much to maintain. In comparison to other ideas on cooling your apartment, potted plants are by far the cheapest strategy and are movable when you need to move on to a different apartment.
2. Use cool-mist humidifiers
If you are Malaysian then I am inclined you’ve seen these Indian restaurants with water mist machines. These water mist machines are designed to create mist when the ambient temperature is the highest and almost unbearable.
The role of a cool-mist humidifier in the house plays the same role, introducing mist and humidity into the home. If you use the cool-mist humidifier with the air circulation provided by a ceiling fan or a standing fan, the ambient temperature can be reduced by a number of degrees Celsius.
Are there other benefits to using cool-mist humidifiers?
A resounding YES! Humidifiers are designed to introduce humidity into the air, preventing dry air. Subsequently, the higher humidity in the air can help with allergies and dry skin problems such as eczema.
Besides that, the higher moisture content in the air slows the spread of bacteria and germs. This also protects your children from the high risk of falling ill due to the spread of viruses.
Cool-mist humidifiers do not cost that much
This article is written with you, the apartment renters, in mind. I understand we can sometimes choose to suffer the heat instead of investing in a humidifier because of cost constraints or because it becomes cumbersome when it is time to move.
The great thing about humidifiers is that they are really affordable, long-lasting, compact, easy to move, and low on maintenance costs. Besides, they are safe to be used in all seasons.
3. Install drapes, curtains, and shades
Our next strategy for reducing ambient temperature is to install drapes, curtains, and blinds as they play an important role in reducing the ambient temperature in a house that is directly exposed to sunlight. These window treatments are effective in keeping your home cool during the day, whether it is by blocking or reflecting the sun’s rays.
So how do we use these window treatments to keep our home cool?
Use curtains and drapes to keep the heat out
For families who live out of the house during the day, do keep your curtains closed during the day when you are working in the office. In particular, windows that are directly exposed to the afternoon sun.
It is also important to note that different fabric types and colors will determine the curtains and drapes heat reducing capability. The U.S. Department of Energy released a study indicating that medium-colored draperies with white plastic backings can reduce heat gain by 33 percent.
If possible, you would want to hang the curtain as close as possible to the windows to maximize the curtains’ ability to reduce heat gain.
Use white shades to reflect the sun
If curtains and drapes are too much of a hassle or investment for your temporary home, then you might want to consider installing window shades for the windows directly exposed to the afternoon sun. When installed well, window shades are highly effective in reflecting the sun, reducing the heat gain into the house.
Similar to curtains, window shades work best when it is installed close to the window, creating a sealed space. There are also some window shades that come with several layers of fiber, acting as both insulation and an air barrier. These fiber shades are more effective but they do cost more.
4. Install ceiling fans and exhaust fans
The wind chill effect of a ceiling fan can make a space feel cooler despite not actually reducing the overall temperature in a room. The ceiling fan causes air to move across your skin which helps to evaporate sweat at a faster rate, reducing your body temperature.
Besides the wind chill effect, the redistributing of air by the ceiling fan also makes a room feel cooler. For those of you familiar with physics, hot air rises, while cool air settles in the lower part of a room because of air density. With a ceiling fan, the cold air is pulled higher up so that it circulates around your face instead of staying at ground level.
I understand installing ceiling fans can be a momentous task as it involves getting professional help and fees. For those of you who wish to get away with an easier solution, you can alternatively use a portable fan to keep the air flowing, but I ensure you that the ceiling will be worth the time and money.
Use an exhaust fan to improve the air ventilation
Exhaust fan systems can help improve air ventilation, removing warm air in a room and replacing it with fresher and cooler air from the outside. This constant flow of air will also lessen air stagnation at home, making it more comfortable.
A quick tip on installing an exhaust fan, you would want to ensure that it gets installed as high as possible. This is because hot air rises to the top while cool air stays closer to the ground. When the exhaust fan is installed higher up, it helps remove the hot air from the room, reducing the ambient temperature of your home.
5. Avoid heat-producing lighting
I know we love aesthetic lighting that adds our personality to the space. If you are wondering how to add your personality to your rented apartment, check out this comprehensive article I prepared just for you!
Having said that, some aesthetic lighting uses traditional incandescent bulbs that produce a lot of heat as a byproduct of their operation. These incandescent bulbs convert about 90% of the energy they consume into heat and only about 10% is actually converted into light, making them very ineffective.
If you are to switch to more energy-efficient lighting options such as LED or CFL bulbs, you will find them producing significantly less heat. This helps reduce the amount of heat generated by lighting in your home and helps lower the overall ambient temperature.
Switching over to energy-efficient lighting options does not mean losing out on adding personality to the space. With today’s technology, you can choose to live out your favorite colors while enjoying the comfort of your home.
6. Automate and time your air-conditioner
I am not going to give you the boring “add an air-conditioner”. That much is obvious to any Malaysian, we all know air-conditioners are critical to surviving the Malaysian seasons.
However, let me share with you this one tip to maximize the impact of your air-conditioner. Did you know you can set your air-conditioner to turn on and off at a specific time?
Traditionally, the air-conditioner remote control is used as a simple timer so that the air-conditioner will automatically turn off after a couple of hours, depending on how long you set them. The limitation of this is that it does not have any function to turn on.
Use a timed power supply to turn the A/C on and off
To overcome this, I use a timer switch that functions as a timed power supply. I would connect the power cord of the air conditioner to the timer switch. You can then adjust when to turn the air-conditioner on or off, typically I would set it to turn on for about 2 hours before I get home.
The downside to the timer switch is that it does not turn off the air-conditioner properly. By cutting off the power supply, some argue that the compressor is not given enough time to shut down and this may lead to higher maintenance costs. Practically, from an engineer’s perspective, I would say the air-conditioning is designed for various field circumstances and would be well prepared for it. Otherwise, wouldn’t office buildings with timed A/C have greater maintenance concerns?
Use smart A/C controllers to remotely control your air-conditioners
Using a timer switch may sound like a crude way and it is indeed a crude way of timing when to turn an air-conditioner on and off. A more sensible way around this is to get yourself a smart AC controller.
There are a number of smart AC controllers in the market. To name a few, we have Sensibo, Atomi, and Aqara which are affordable to the mass market. Some of these smart AC controllers may have a scheduling feature that can be executed throughout the week, depending on your preference and lifestyle.
For example, the air-conditioner can be set up to work on fan mode in the afternoon when the afternoon sun is doing its worst. Just before everyone gets home, you can set the air-conditioner to go on cool mode at 18 degrees Celcius, making the ambient temperature a lot more welcoming.
7. Install double-pane windows
Now, the most expensive solution in the list is to install double-pane windows. Double-pane windows are highly effective in keeping heat out because of the insulation layer between the 2 glass units.
Generally, double-pane windows are also known as insulated glass units. They consist of two panels of glass that are separated by sealed airspace, typically filled with inert gas or air. The sealed airspace between the glass panels behaves as an insulator against heat transfer and noise pollution.
The good thing about energy-efficient double-pane windows is that you get to keep the natural sunlight while lowering the temperature inside the room. Essentially, it acts as a filter that allows natural light to pass through while reducing the heat level that enters the room.
As I mentioned previously, double-pane windows are a great investment but they do cost quite a bit. I would recommend this option only if you intend to occupy the apartment for the long term.
Final Words
There are many other strategies for keeping your apartment cool, especially if it is directly exposed to the afternoon sun. Depending on your budget, the size of your apartment, and the heat you’re experiencing, you should decide on the appropriate home-cooling strategy that would fit your lifestyle best.
