With temperatures now on the rise, it's about time to get our smart AC units ready for peak performance or dust off those cooling fans. However, with some areas of the United States already bracing for a heatwave, many homes might need to start their cooling prep sooner than expected.
Fortunately, I've just discovered a smart way to help you stay cool and cut down on your air-conditioning costs. These simple and quick tricks are also budget-friendly. All you need to do is designate a specific room in your home as your cool-down zone, and use clever techniques to give you a quick and refreshing chill in no time.
So here are three clever methods to try out in your very own DIY ‘cool room’ and save you money on energy bills in the long-term.
What exactly is a DIY cool room?
Essentially, a ‘cool room’ is a specified room in the house where you can comfortably retreat to when the temperatures get stifling. Keeping just one room cool (rather than the entire house), this can help to reduce your AC usage and keep costs down.
Additionally, this room can also be located at a cooler part of the house, or where there are trees or tall shrubs outside to offer adequate shade.
1. The ‘caveman method’
This might sound strange, but the aptly-named ‘caveman method’ is a great way to instantly cool down a room. The trick is to simply make the room feel like a cave by keeping it dark during the day. So during the hottest part of the day, minimize outside airflow and block sunlight/glare by closing blinds or curtains. Obviously, remember to turn off the lights.
Ideally, we want to create a room that mimics living in a cave, which is cool in heatwaves because it’s dark and doesn't have direct sunlight or a direct entrance for the heat. Additionally, you can install insulated/blackout blinds or window film, which are also great ways to instantly block sunlight.
2. The ‘wind tunnel’ method
Another great method to cool down your room without AC is the ‘wind tunnel’ method, which works by creating a cross-wave breeze.
To create this effect, you’ll need to strategically open windows or doors on opposite sides of the room during the cooler parts of the day. This hack allows cool air to be drawn in on one side while warm air is pushed out on the other.
If you want to maximize airflow, however (especially on a sweltering day), you can also place fans near the openings to help encourage and circulate the cross-breeze. Essentially, cooling a room with a natural cross-breeze can be a quick and more cost-effective way to lower the temperature — without cranking up the AC and costing a fortune.
3. Swap out your lighting for LED bulbs
While we often overlook lighting when attempting to cool down a space, it significantly impacts the reduction of indoor heat.
In fact, traditional incandescent bulbs can add to the discomfort, with up to 90% of the electrical energy consumed wasted as heat rather than light. As a result, during warmer months, your AC system must work harder and use more energy to counteract this light-generated heat.
Instead, switching to LED bulbs can offer significant efficiency, emitting up to 80% less heat for the same brightness compared to traditional bulbs. This change can noticeably help to cool a room, especially over long summer periods.
What’s more, LED lights use less electricity, and will further save you on the energy bills — a win-win.
