Everyone has a different comfort level but one thing’s for sure: sweltering at home is far from ideal. We bring the latest fans and air-conditioners to the rescue
Keen to stay comfortable this summer? Chill out with our expert guide to the best cooling ideas on the market
It’s that time of year again – and there’s always that real scorcher of a day at the beginning of summer – when you remember how unbearably hot your home can get and why you made plans to install air-conditioning last year. However, keeping your home cool throughout the warmer months can be costly. It’s been estimated that Australians spend $4.6 billion to stay chilled over summer, so it’s important to take your time choosing the correct system – and make sure it’s efficient.
And while air-conditioning might seem ideal, it can be expensive to buy and not all systems are created equal. Other cooling options, like ceiling fans, can be much more affordable. Our comprehensive guide will help you find your best option.
awnings, blinds and shutters
Cleverly chosen window treatments can improve your home’s energy efficiency in summer, as well as keeping you cool. For example, awnings provide much-needed shade over windows and are ideal for west- or north-facing rooms. And when used over your outdoor entertaining area, they’ll give protection against the sun during the hottest part of the day.
Amelia Taylor, head of product at Wynstan, says Wynstan’s Straight drop awnings can reduce cooling energy costs by up to 60 per cent, especially when used in conjunction with dark fabric for more protection from the sun.
Blockout blinds are also great at trapping cool air inside the home and protecting it from the outside elements. According to Amelia, one of the most popular products in the Wynstan range are the honeycomb-style Whisper Cellular shades, which have an added layer of insulation in the blind, thanks to the air pockets between the layers of fabric.
portable cooling
Portable cooling systems include airconditioners and freestanding fans and are ideal for renters or apartment dwellers. They have the advantage of allowing you to cool just one room at a time and, as such, can be very efficient.
If you tend to work long hours and come home to an empty but hot house, a portable fan can quickly cool down a room, especially if you open the doors and windows and have good ventilation throughout your space. The latest products in this category include the bladeless fans offered by Dyson, which feature simple and elegant styling to blend in with contemporary homes. Classic and vintage styles are also still popular.
Portable air-conditioners are affordable to buy, but running costs can be higher than built-in units, which means you may be hit with unexpected energy bills if you end up running an air-conditioning unit all night or all weekend.
Air-purifying products, where fans combine cooling with a purifying element, are another growth area in this category. Dyson has just released its Pure Cool Me personal purifying fan, while De’Longhi’s 3D Comfort is an air purifier, heater and cooling fan in one.
air-conditioning
There are two main product types for air-conditioning systems – ducted and wall-mounted. Ducted solutions are generally cheaper to run, but they can be expensive to retro-fit in an existing home. For this reason, they’re ideal for new builds or renovations/extensions, especially when a second storey is added, as it can be difficult (read: expensive) to install a ducted system in a multi-storey building. Wall-mounted units are often confined to the main rooms of the home to save on costs – usually the living space and bedrooms.
Kyle Rafter, national product manager at Fujitsu General Australia, says the demand for air-conditioning across the country is growing, and it’s very rare for a new build in Australia to not have some form of air-conditioning included during the construction phase.
“Generally, what a builder will do is give one of two options: the cheapest option, which will be a couple of wallmounted units in the living room and maybe the main bedroom, or a ducted system throughout the house,” he says. “A ducted solution might be double the cost of a wall-mounted unit, but it’s cheaper to run over the long term.”
If you’re looking to install an airconditioning unit, be sure to check out the energy star rating for heating mode and cooling mode, which should be displayed at point of purchase and on the manufacturer’s website. The more stars, the more energy-efficient the unit is.
ceiling fans
For a long time, the ceiling fan has been the forgotten cousin of the cooling world, with its flashier relative, the air-conditioner, taking centre stage, says Denise Hammond of Beacon Lighting. But she believes they are now more popular than ever.
“Like a lot of cooling options, ceiling fans have gone in and out of fashion, but I think they’re here to stay as they’re a very cost-efficient way of keeping cool,” she explains. “Unlike air-conditioners, which change the air temperature, ceiling fans move air. As you perspire, air movement over damp skin increases evaporation, helping you to feel cooler.”
Ceiling fans can also work in conjunction with air-conditioners, as the fan pushes cooled air down and into other areas of your home, which means you don’t need to have the thermostat set quite as low. Denise says they are capable of reducing air-conditioning costs by up to 10 per cent.
In other good news, most ceiling fans use only as much power as a traditional 60-watt light globe, so you can feel cool for as little as 1 cent an hour (however, this can vary depending on your energy provider, fan size and fan use).
There are many different styles of fans on offer, although the simple white units continue to be the most popular.