In Melbourne, summer can bring some seriously hot days that make staying indoors uncomfortable. As we know the West gets hotter than the east, so here are some common tips from 20 years of teaching sustainability to the building industry:
Open your windows at night
Take advantage of Melbourne’s cooler nights. Open your windows in the evening to let fresh, cool air flow through your home. You’ll wake up to a cooler house and might even sleep better! Don’t forget to close the windows and blinds before the heat starts in the morning.
Close your curtains or blinds
Keep the hot sun out by closing your curtains or blinds during the day, especially on sunny windows. This stops heat from building up inside your home.
Add shade outside your windows
Especially for those sunny windows, install awnings, pergolas, or plant shade trees outside west-facing windows to block the afternoon sun. Shade keeps your home cooler naturally.
Seal any gaps in your home
If you feel the extremes of Melbourne’s weather, sealing gaps around windows and doors can help. A well-insulated home stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Cook and do laundry at night
Appliances like ovens, dishwashers, and dryers produce heat. Use them during the cooler evening hours. Or better yet, dry your clothes outside to save energy and keep your home cool.
Turn on exhaust fans
Also, a trick I use is if I am cooking on a hot day, I put my extraction fan on high. This sucks out the heat. This will only work if your range hood is connected to the outside. Rethink the Sunday roast on a hot day or cook it outside. Same for the bathroom.
Cook outside when you can
Summer is the perfect time to fire up the BBQ! Cooking outside keeps your home cooler and is a great excuse to enjoy Melbourne’s beautiful summer evenings.
Use fans the smart way
Fans move air around, which helps you feel cooler. Position fans to blow air on you directly or use them to draw in cooler air from outside in the evening.
Set your ceiling fan to ‘summer’
Set your ceiling fan to spin counterclockwise in summer. This pushes air down, creating a cooling breeze. On really hot days, turn it up to a higher speed.
These simple tips can make a big difference in keeping your home comfortable during Melbourne’s hot summer days – no air conditioning required! If you do need air conditioning, choose a CO2 based refrigerant type as this has less impact that other types.
