Thankfully, it is likely that your Portugal property will be equipped with an air conditioning system to keep it cool during the summer months. However, keeping the air-con going full blast all summer is not very friendly to the environment and can also cost you a bit of money! How can you help to keep your Portugal property cool naturally and reduce your energy consumption? Here are some tips:
The best way to make sure that your Portugal property is cool is to keep the heat out in the first place. Keep the house closed up tight during the day, so that you dont let in heat and humidity from outside. When the temperatures cool down in the evenings, you can open the windows to ventilate and establish some airflow through the home.
If you have any south-facing windows, install an awning overtop of the window to provide shade.
Install white window shades or drapes to reflect heat away from the house.
Humidity makes the air inside your Portugal property feel much warmer than it is, so avoid doing things like showering, running the dishwasher, washing clothes, and cooking during the heat of the day. These activities release warm and moist air that will make your home feel uncomfortably hot and sticky. If you must do these things on a hot day, turn on a ventilating fan to extract the air.
If you have a flat roof, paint it white. This will help it deflect sunshine and keep the house much cooler overall.
Replace or clean the intake filter on your air conditioner once per month so that it is running most efficiently and not wasting energy.
One of the biggest sources of internal heat in your Portugal property is the clothes dryer. On hot days, try drying your clothes outside on the line instead. You will not only save money on the energy costs of running the dryer, but also on the air conditioning costs of cooling the house down afterwards.
Try using just a small upright fan directly in the room that you are using. It will use less energy than having the air conditioning running through the entire house and will get the air moving around you to make you feel cooler.
Plant some trees around your Portugal property to shade it from the hot sunshine.
Cool your body down as well as cooling your house down. Wear lightweight and flowing clothing such as a loose cotton dress or shorts and a t-shirt. Drink lots of water with ice to keep your body temperature low. Apply a damp cool cloth to the back of your neck.
Use these alternative strategies to keep your Portugal property cool without having to crank up the air conditioning, and you will save money and be more comfortable too!
Author Bio
It can get very hot at your Portugal property, so here are some tips to beat the heat.
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