Blessed are those who have air conditioning because those people will be able to spend a bearable summer in Madrid. But if you live like me, without air conditioning and renting in an old and poorly insulated apartment, things change. However, we got by with some common sense, lore and some tricks to keep the house cool in summer.
Lots of liquids, cool cotton clothes and fresh food is the minimum to prepare for the summer in my apartment in Madrid. I already told you that we live for rent in a property that is several decades old and that the insulation is deficient, so if in winter it is difficult to maintain the heating temperature, in summer the difference between the outside and inside temperatures can sometimes be a couple of degrees. There’s not much we can do here, beyond play with our best asset: the windows.
Our strategy with windows
We usually keep an eye on the temperature outside so that when it starts to drop (especially if it drops below the temperature inside), we open the whole house. In our favor, we have five windows, four of which are placed in parallel two by two. That is to say, if you open them all the way and raise the blinds, it is easy for there to be a current. The current is essential to lower the temperature of the house and ventilate the environment. The best hours are in the morning and when the sun goes down.
What happens during the rest of the day? Since we don’t have an awning, we have to make do by closing the windows tightly, that is, both windows and blinds and even curtains when the sun is above. If it’s still cooler outside but the sun comes in or bounces off (there are light colored painted buildings around that reflect the light) then we just pull down the blinds quite a bit and draw the curtains, still letting some air in . Fortunately, although the house is old, the windows are modern, made of aluminum and with thick glass.
I work at home, which means sitting in front of the computer at key hours, such as midday. However, I use LED lighting (which generates almost no heat) just and necessary and the same with Appliances and devices: as far as possible, the less they are turned on and generating heat, the better. Obviously we cannot avoid some such as the fridge, but we do take advantage of the night or the first hours of the day to put washing machines or cook.
How to get the most out of the fan
What you see under these lines is the fan that came with the furniture in the house. Yes, I know that there is the option of buying a portable air conditioner for the home (I am not ruling it out this summer, especially if it is as strong as the previous one), but I see gaps in it: my apartment is 55 square meters and I find them a bit bulky For so little space, on the one hand, and on the other, there is how to manage the outlet of the hot air pipe through a well-insulated window. But to this day, that is our fan.
A premise that is worth remembering: a fan does not refresh the air, it only moves it. For this reason it is essential put it in a transit area, well communicated (and therefore with good current) and leave the doors open. No corners, better clear areas.
As for the height, our fan is desktop, but we always opt for place it close to the ground and with the blades facing slightly upwards, since in that area is where the freshest air is found (due to the difference in density). Thus, it will take the “cold” air, move it and expel it upwards, which is where the hot air is. If it happens that we have the windows open and there is a draft, the room can cool down relatively quickly.
On those nights when the thermometer drops less than desired, in addition to taking a shower with warm water, we opt for put some ice near the fan to generate a cooling sensation. Of course, normally when we have the windows open, since otherwise we would increase the environmental humidity, which causes that unpleasant sticky heat.
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In Xataka Home | We give you some factors to assess before choosing the ideal air conditioning for your home