As we all know, summertime can get extremely hot in the Philippines. While hitting the beach every day for that cool beach breeze would be preferable, we can’t do that on a day-to-day basis. 

To help you with your heat wave woes, we created a quick guide to help make your home cooler and more comfortable for you.

1. Open your Windows

While you might be thinking of closing your windows to turn on the air conditioning is a good idea, air conditioning can easily drive up your electric bill to an exorbitant rate. We suggest opening your windows first. The natural wind airflow is an effective way to keep cool amidst the heat. Look around and observe which way daytime breeze tends to blow. Once you have that figured out, you can look for ways to take advantage of that breeze.

2. Bring in the Fans

Electric fans can do much more than giving an artificial breeze in a room. They help circulate the air and keep it in motion, this maintains a breeze that cools and keeps humidity levels in check. Electric fans come in different forms, here is a quick list of types of fans and their benefits:

1. Table Fans - Small and compact, suitable for cooling personal spaces

2. Pedestal Fans - Adjustable height for convenient operation, great for cooling rooms, and its oscillating head allows for more air distribution

3. Window fans - Bring in fresh air and draws out stale air, suitable for cooling areas where leaving an open window isn’t enough. It’s mounted on windows so it saves floor and table space

4. Wall Mount fans - Provides powerful air circulation and creates a comfortable environment in areas with limited floor space

5. Floor Fans - provides powerful airflow and ventilation at foot level, great for cooling homes and ideal when wall mount fans or ceiling fans isn’t feasible to do

6. Tower Fans - Its thin, vertical design allows it to fit into small, compact spaces. It’s quieter and less likely to fall over like a top-heavy pedestal fan, and great for cooling homes

7. Ceiling Fans - Helps make rooms significantly cooler by circulating airflow in a room

An additional tip is to fill a bowl with ice and place it in front of your fan so the air it lets out is chilled. 

3. Be wary of the Kitchen

When the weather is hot, we have a tendency to visit the kitchen and open the fridge for some of its cooling magic. But besides that being wasteful of energy, it also makes the fridge run with more effort, meaning more load and temperature on its motor. Besides that, make sure to use a fan for ventilation when cooking, this makes sure air flows and kept cool. It also allows you to cook food more efficiently.

4. Stay in the shade

Natural shade is one of the best ways to stay cool. You can opt to install awnings over your windows that face the south or the west, the directions that experience the greatest sun exposure. It’s important to note that the more you keep the interior of your house, the cooler it is. You can also opt for eaves, overhands, sunshades, or trees and plants to block the sun.

If those options aren’t available for you,  you can also install blinds to your windows and make sure to keep them closed when sun exposure is at its harshest.