Australian weather can be wild, changing from freezing lows to steamy highs in the blink of an eye. Most of us have experienced a heatwave during our time and know what to expect when the temperatures soar above 40°C, but it is still important to be prepared. Heatwaves are dangerous, especially if you are ill-prepared and you don’t have a working air conditioner or cooling system. Below are some tips on how to stay cool – and safe – next time a heatwave comes around.
Cool Off with Water
Drinking water during a heatwave is imperative to staying hydrated and healthy. It is suggested that you drink more water than you would typically consume in a day and also be sure to eat. Ensure you’re paying close attention to how you feel as your health is a top priority. If you start to feel seriously unwell, contact emergency services immediately.
You can also take a cold bath or shower to cool to stay during extremely hot temperatures. Other ways you can utilise water to stay cool include wearing a wet towel or scarf on your head and using a spray bottle to cool off.
Stay on the Lower Levels of Your Home
If your living arrangements allows for it, move to the lowest level of your home. Heat rises; so the lower you move in your home, the lower the temperature will be.
During a heatwave, it’s also important to avoid using items that generate heat such as your oven, stove, or washer and dryer.
Circulate the Air
Circulating the air in your home when it’s hot can be a massive help when trying to regulate the temperature in your home. Once the temperatures in your home are extremely hot, traditional fans are not particularly useful as they just circulate the hot air. When the sun goes down, this is the best time to take advantage of the decreasing outside temperature – this is when a whole house fan becomes very useful.
Solatube’s Whole House fan draws the cooler, fresher air from outside into your living spaces through your windows, and then pushes the stale, hot air from indoors through your roof cavity and out the roof vents. Whole house fans are designed to create a continuous circulation system which regulates the temperature of your home and helps to maintain a cool temperature for an extended period of time.
A whole house fan can help you keep cool during the next heatwave. Plus, you’ll likely save hard-earned dollars on air conditioning costs! Stay safe and cool during the next heatwave. For more information on how to prevent overheating inside your home, get in touch with the daylighting and ventilation experts at Solatube. Call us on 13 16 19 or 1800 131 619.