Keeping the indoor atmosphere regulated can protect your health and prevent you from contracting any heat or cold-related diseases.
In this regard, Should You Keep Your Windows Open Or Closed In Hot And Humid Weather?
While most people prefer opening windows when it is hot outside and the inner temperatures are rising or closing the windows when it’s humid weather, these principles do not help.
The basic premise is that windows should not be opened when the weather is hot and humid.
Opening windows will only alter the inner conditions by balancing it to the outside conditions—hot and humid air will get inside the cool house since the concentration of water vapor outside is higher than inside, and temperatures are also too high outside than inside.
If you need to cool the house, then open the windows when the outside temperatures are cooler than the inner temperatures. Otherwise, the windows should remain shut in hot and humid weather to help keep the home cool.
Three Effects Of Hot And Humid Weather
Hot and humid weather can affect your normal activities in the office or home.
Whether you are working from home or on holiday, it is good to keep windows locked when it is hot and open them at night to allow cool air to get in.
Installing a good air conditioning system will save you from dealing with the devastating effects of hot and humid air.
Here are some of the effects of hot, humid weather:
1. Health Effects
Both high temperatures and high humidity can cause health issues to human beings, and that is why people will always resort to finding solutions to this problem.
High temperatures make the heart work harder by pumping blood higher.
This increases the heartbeat, which in return can increase the blood pressure.
While the heart is pumping at a high rate, the body reacts by sweating, thus losing a lot of water and getting dehydrated.
Similarly, when there is high humidity, the body reacts by getting dehydrated, tired, and muscle cramps.
Leaving your windows open in humid and hot weather allows these elements to accumulate inside the house, making it uncomfortable.
2. Moisture Can Damage Your Property
Too much moisture in the house can easily settle on the ceiling, cupboard, cleaners, and dryers and form molds on their surfaces.
This equipment can only function well if positioned in a cool and dry place, free from moisture.
When moisture accumulates on some of your expensive equipment, it can cause rust, growth of molds, and even damage some of its functionality.
3. High Moisture Makes The AC Work Hard
The best way to keep your home cool is by using air conditioners.
You do not want to spend a lot cooling the hot environment for your neighbors by leaving windows open and letting your cool air escape through them.
When you open windows while the air is still humid, you will be letting in extra moisture, which will affect the air conditioner’s functionality.
When moist and humid air gets inside the house, the air conditioner has to work extra harder to cool the house.
This is because moist air carries away more heat than warm air, and if windows are open, then there will be a lot of moist air circulating in the house, making the ac to operate constantly while straining to attain the optimal room temperatures.
Seven Tips For Keeping Cool During A Hot And Humid Weather
Cool, is the best weather condition. To keep your home cool, you need to regulate both the high temperatures and humidity.
If you are unsure what to do to make your home comfortable during hot and humid weather, consider the tips below.
1. Make Use Of The Windows
Keep windows closed when there is hot and humid weather, especially during the day, and open them at night when the air is cold.
Opening windows at night might sound insecure, but if you live in a secure neighborhood, you can open them to allow cool air to circulate in your house and give the fans and air conditioners time to cool.
2. Use A Dehumidifier And Moisture Products
This is an authentic way of dealing with moisture accumulating inside your house.
Dehumidifiers can drive away even the slightest and unnoticeable moisture particles, filling the house with dry and safe air.
Other products like charcoal and salt can be used to drive humidity away if you find a dehumidifier quite expensive.
3. Avoid Regular Showers
Reduce the visits you make to the bathroom every day during a hot day.
However much heat you will feel, you better look for alternative cooling methods other than taking a shower. You can also take a hot shower to freshen up since hot showers create less humidity.
Regular baths increase humidity in the bathroom, and the humid air spreads in the house.
If you have several bathrooms, you can opt to use just one bathroom and lock the others to reduce wet spots in the house.
4. Regularly Replace The AC Pipes
AC pipes are basic units of the entire home cooling system and need to be adequately maintained; otherwise, they will not be able to carry out their function of house cooling effectively.
Cracked or broken pipes usually allow humid air to leak and flow to your house, making the cooling system ineffective.
5. Take Out Indoor Plants
The sun is usually scorching during spring and summer, especially during the day.
This is the right time to take your indoor plants outside and reduce damp spots in the house.
Plants also release moisture, and by keeping them out, you will release the humidity in the house and save yourself from the effects of high humidity.
6. Keep Your AC Running At Its Best
When the weather is hot and humid, you need to set aside your comfort preferences and reset your air conditioning unit.
It is high time to focus on intelligent energy use habits and repeated servicing to ensure the air conditioner is efficiently functioning and can be depended on due to the increased reliability.
Allow the air conditioner to function at its optimal capacity to balance the hot temperatures with the humid air to bring about a comfortable room condition suitable for working or relaxing.
7. Make Use Of Exhaust Fans
If you frequently cook, boil water or take hot showers in the house, make an effort to have fans to help drive away humidity.
Steam from hot substances can accumulate in different parts of the house and cause damage if there is no system to keep the house from driving away from heat.
Conclusion
Closing or opening windows can be done daily depending on your ability to remember doing it or the benefits you will acquire by having open windows.
It is important to keep windows closed during hot and humid weather to prevent hot sun heat and humidity from getting to your house.
You can consider the above tips to keep your house free from humidity and avoid the effects of high humidity in the house.
Sources
https://www.comfortecphc.com/blog/65/when-to-open-windows-vs-use-ac-in-late-summer-early-fall.php
https://www.quora.com/Should-you-open-windows-in-hot-weather