How hot gets your apartment during summer?

Accomodation, House and Garden
21
That's actually a good question.

I am not sure if there is a real law about the maximum temperature (there enough rulings to ensure a minimum temperature, though).

But when we project a new build, the Bauphysiker actually has to report whether the sun exposition is too much, therefore sun shading/different glass is needed to avoid uncomfortable temperatures.

I'll see if I can ask him about that next time I see him...

22
Yes, please.

Thanks

23
I hate hate hate hot weather. Anything over 20 and I start to get seriously grumpy. You really don't want to meet me on a 30 degree day.

My cooling routine is much like Mathnut's. When the temps outside are cooler than inside, all windows open. Once they start to rise, usually by 8AM, windows and blinds closed for the rest of the day. Awnings help as well.

Fans in every room, use as needed.

Look on one of the detailed weather sites to determine when the coolest part of the day is in your area. Here in Ausserschwyz it's 2-5AM. That is when opening the windows to cool down the house is effective. Plays havoc with my sleep in summer, but ya do whatcha gotta do.

The heat in the house feels worse when the air is humid, so I bought a dehumidifier to run when needed. 25 degrees in the house with 50% humidity is not nearly so bad as 25 degrees with 90%.

I won't lie - my routine makes a summer heatwave bearable, but that's all. Cool in summer is not possible given how and when this house was built. The house heats up quickly and retains heat for ages - great for the winter heating costs, certainly, but hell in summer.

We cannot install a real air conditioner due to the Quartier Gestaltungsplan (an outside condenser violates the exterior regulations) and the fiddly units that you have to jerryrig an exhaust hose out the window mean you have a vulnerable entry point, a concern given the rise in burglaries in my area. So nighttime cooling, dark during the day is the best alternative.

My routine goes out the window, literally, when OH is home. He is of the opinion that windows must be open to let the sunshine in - so my cool-ish house heats right up when he decides to work from home. We've been arguing about this for the 20 years we have been here...

(Note to young'uns considering tying the knot - discuss room temperature preferences before saying 'I do'. )

Hope you find a solution that helps to bring the temps down a bit...

24
Good to know that i'm not only one who is fighting with heat

Thanks for info!

25

Are all your Windows on one side? if not - do you have Windows witch are facing the direction of the morning sun? if yes, open These Windows at least at the top to let some air enter. Leave all the doors Open in the Apartment so air can circulate. If you are home during the day or come home for lunch open the Windows in the morning or the side where the sun does not yet shine into. Once you get home Close the Windows exposed to the sun.

Pull the blinds down halfway in all rooms. Open all the Windows at the top and leave all the doors open.

you will have to try out different thins but for me the Windows open at the top in all rooms and blinds pulled down halfway and all doors open is the most effective when I am out an about all day. Once I get home at night I open ALL the Windows fully with no lights on. Light heats up a room. So only use light in the one room you stay at und turn it off once you leave that room.

If I am home all the Windows are open, blinds down halfway until I can feel warm air entering. Depending on the Position of the room and the sun this will be at a different time for each room. The latest at two I Close all the Windows exposed to sun, the others stay open.

Hope this makes any sense but I live on the topfloor and have a lot of sun exposion and it is better if I let some air into then Close all the Windows.

26
how? LED bulbs produce a negligible amount of heat.

27

I’ve yet to find a solution in our house too. Rooms get hot, particularly the living room which gets sun from sunrise to sunset. I vary between throwing all the windows open first thing in the morning to let whatever cooler air is around through for a bit before then shutting everything up tight or suffering the stale air by not opening up at all. Even closing things up doesn’t always help - I usually see the indoor temp gauge going up a couple of degrees regardless. When it gets really hot I wish hubby wasn’t such a hoarder and we could clear out the cave and make a second living room down there since it’s always much cooler. Need to investigate getting some of that insulated cladding put on the outside of the house, maybe that would help.

And thanks for the reminder. I need to go and close the shutters and pull the curtains on the French windows before the sun gets around and starts heating the living room up any more than it already is.

28
There is no law and Switzerland doesn't do ACs. Well of course you can buy one, but it's not standard.

In 2003, we had over 4 months of 30-40C weather. I lived in an apartment under the roof. It was literally boiling (and I love heat), so for four months, I didn't open the blinds properly and it was still easily above 30C inside my place all the time.

Open the windows during the night, close them during the day, close the blinds and buy an AC or at least a fan if it's unbearable for you. It hasn't really been THAT hot for THAT long a time yet though...

29
I know from my old country that we have equal regulations, but those are to prevent energy usage to cool or heat the house, and the rules differ depending on when the house was build. The house was once build and by then the drawings and materials used were legally permitted (unless the rare case of illegal constructing). Mostly the older the house the warmer it tends to get in summer and besides a strict routine on opening and closing windows/curtains the only other solution is to accept it or install airconditioning.

Also if the landlord would change things like new windows and such OP should take in mind that the rent might go up to reflect the higher value of the property.

Op is lucky he missed the summer of 2 years ago with weeks of temperatures above 30 and several days in a row with temps over 35.

30
except really old places. i have a old stone grotto with walls a meter thick. its the same cool temperature year round with no heating or cooling. good for storing wine or just escaping summer heat!

31
In this part of the world it is considered Tropical if the daytime peaks are above 30 and the nighttime temps not falling below 20. That is when it is impossible to cool.

As the bise is blowing at the moment it doesn’t get close to 30 and the nights are in the mid-teens. But this too will change.

32
Indeed, temps are rising 1C per day this week.

Fortunately, we have A/C.

Tom

33
You've clearly never been to Ticino.

Cars, house, work, post office, etc. ALL have A/C.

Tom

34

I'll sleep in the cellar, thank you! Alternatively, leave a pillow in the fridge.

35
Why live in Ticino when you could live in Scotland? No overheating problems over there, I tell ya!

36
NB If you have geothermal underfloor heating, don't turn it off by closing the valves, this can allow debris to settle and cause blockage. Regulate it at the pump/thermostat.

37
Right now it is warmer in Jedburgh than in for example Lucerne

38
If you have french/sliding doors out to a stone balcony or patio, drench it in water a couple of times in the afternoon. This will stop the heat from bouncing up into the living room.

I put two fans on full blast near the balcony door and then soak the balcony with the water hose and it helps cool the living room down on very hot afternoons. The sun blind helps to prevent the balcony from drying too fast once wet.

39
Yes, all windows are on one side. Will experiment with half closed blinds and opened windows, lets see if will become better

Thanks

I also felt severe summer 2 years ago, but lived in another apartment, had a/c and fans, then sold them, was planning to install normal A/C, now knowing the price, thinking to buy again portable A/C

40
It should not have to cost 12K to cool an apartment, and do you really need airco units in all 4 rooms?

I used to have a proper oversized unit in the living room, and just had the doors in the house of the rooms I wanted a bit cooler open and a fan on the ceiling in the hall so air would distribute.