Keeping Your Home Cool in a Heatwave

Following the disruption and discomfort caused by two heatwaves so far this year, and with a third forecasted for later this month, people’s thoughts are not far from how to keep themselves, their family and their homes cool to withstand the record-breaking heat.

There’s no shortage of tips and tricks for keeping yourself and your home as cool as possible this summer – including shutting curtains and blinds during the day, only opening windows at night, reducing appliance use where possible – but prevention and ‘thinking ahead’ can often be the best solution and there are plenty of ways in which to prepare your home for the future, allowing for better control, and energy efficiency, even when temperatures soar.

Read on for some examples of how your smart home can keep temperature control in your hands during a heatwave and beyond…

Curtains and Blinds

Automating the blinds and curtains in your home is a straightforward way to transform the level of control you have not only over the lighting, but the temperature too. Whether simply opening and closing your curtains remotely from a control panel on the other side of the room, or a fully automated system of blinds on a daily timer to block the sunshine out throughout peak times of the day, this can have a significant impact in cooling your property and automation means you can do so without breaking even a slight sweat. While a heatwave is of course a break in the norm a simple reprogramming of your timing system is all that is needed to adjust your home to a new temporary routine and keeping rooms (and contents) as cool as possible throughout the day and night.

Lighting

All electrical appliances generate heat when switched on – lights more so than you may realise – and it can be all too easy to forget to turn one off when you leave a room or go to bed. A smart, intuitive lighting system can contribute to keeping temperatures low throughout all times of the day and night. Adding a timer or a sensor to your lights, so they are on only when actually needed (and more importantly, are turned off when not in use) means not only minimising the amount of additional heat being generated, but also gives ample opportunity for preserving energy too. Even a master switch, ensuring that all house lights across the property are switched off at once when the last family member goes to bed, can make a big difference and ensures no stray lamps are left on and forgotten, generating warmth and wasting energy overnight. Your lighting system can even be programmed with work intuitively with automated blinds for an even more seamless solution.

Heating and Cooling System

Chances are air conditioning systems across the country have been working overtime throughout the last months of heat but ensuring your HVAC system is working smart, and not just hard, can provide a more effective option, especially when programmed in tune with other elements in your home.

In a recent smart home design project, we installed a Clina surface heating and cooling system within the ceiling of the living and dining rooms, which worked effortlessly alongside Lutron automated blinds to reduce heat gain from the sun (maximising cooling capabilities and air con efficiency) when needed. Equally, when the colder months do creep in, this same system will aid in conserving warmth (minimising excessive use of the heating system). An energy-efficient and future-forward smart solution that will continue to stand the test of time for years to come, whatever the weather.

Read more about the project here.

Updating your property with smart home technology can simply and effectively ease discomfort during extreme temperatures, make your home more environmentally friendly, give opportunity for saving money and energy and make life all-round easier in so many ways.

Each home is unique, but the Clarke Infinity team have years of experience and are ready to design a bespoke smart solution that suits your property and your lifestyle. Get in touch now on 01277 624444.