Aussies are no stranger when it comes to long summer days and hot summer nights. And, while the balmy weather is a great chance to enjoy a barbeque, jump in the pool and visit the beach, there is a flip side…Keeping your home cool as the mercury rises can be tricky if you don’t have the right tools!

The heat can leave us hot and bothered and stop us from getting a good night’s sleep, which is why preparing for the heat early in the season can be a real life-saver!

To help you beat the heat and keep your home cool as the days warm up, the appliance experts at Bing Lee have shared their top tips for keeping your home cool.

Consider Your Space

When looking for the perfect cooling option for your home, it’s important to first consider the size of the space you’d like to cool.
With many families spending more time inside the home this year, finding a solution that cools your entire house in the warmer months may be really important. Alternatively, if you spend a lot of time in one room of the house, a fan that will efficiently cool that space may be the more economical option for you.

What Features Do You Need?

Another important consideration is to work out what features are non-negotiable for the needs of your home. These may include remote controls to allow you to adjust your settings from the comfort of your couch, portability and weight if you plan on moving your fan around the house, or even low noise features that won’t interrupt your work zoom meetings!

By deciding which features are most important to you from the outset, this will help to ensure you end up with the perfect cooling solution for the needs of you and your family.

Cooling for large rooms and spaces

Tower fans are a great choice for cooling medium to large-sized rooms. They are relatively compact, and despite their small footprint, offer powerful airflow that helps to spread cooled air across a wide area. Fan blades are often well concealed, making them a better choice for homes with pets and small children, while models with carry handles allow you to move these from room to room as needed.

Split system air conditioners, as their name suggests, are made up of two main components: an external unit and an internal unit. Split system air conditioners are ideal for cooling large rooms or open plan areas of up to approximately 60㎡. Choosing an air conditioner will cost some extra time and money to set up as opposed to choosing a fan however can also provide added benefits with many split system air conditioners also providing air purification and allergen filtration while in operation (a great feature to have in the spring and summer months). Meanwhile, reverse cycle split systems provide both heating and cooling and allow you to reap the benefits all year round.

Bing Lee recommends: Excel Air Tower Fan, Omega Altise Tower Fan, Dyson Cool Tower Fan and Fujitsu Inverter Air Conditioner 

Cooling for medium-sized rooms

Pedestal fans are best suited to small to medium-sized rooms. Quite similar in style to floor fans, the blades on this type of fan are encased in a housing that is positioned on a tall stand. Most pedestal fans are height-adjustable, and those with oscillating functions and variable speed settings allow you to tailor the airflow to your needs. Pedestal fans are one of the best fans for cooling the bedroom on warm summer nights.

Bladeless fans contain hidden blades that offer a safer and sleeker design than most other types of fans and are a popular choice for the modern family home. Not only are they a safer option for use around children and pets, but their streamlined design often helps them blend into contemporary home decor. Without accessible blades, bladeless fans are typically faster and easier to clean, however, they tend to be pricier than pedestal and box fans.

Portable air conditioners are easy to install and typically quite compact in size, which allows them to be used in any room where there is a power socket and a window. Without the need for complex installation, portable air conditioners are ideal for use in rental homes, bedrooms and other medium-sized spaces. If you plan to move your portable air conditioner throughout your home, the weight of the unit is important, so look for a model that you can easily maneuver from room to room.

Bing Lee recommends: Sunbeam 40cm Pedestal Fan, Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Fan and Excelair Portable Air Conditioner

Cooling for small rooms

Desk fans are ideal for personal use and are a good choice for targeted cooling, particularly in the office. Small and compact, they are not effective in cooling a space larger than a small room. Look for models that run quietly as you do not want the added distraction, particularly in the workplace. If noise is an issue for you, a bladeless desk fan may prove to be a good alternative.

Box and floor fans are great for use in seating and dining areas. Free of a pedestal-type stand, box and floor fans are positioned on the ground when in use and are often smaller in size than a standard pedestal fan. It’s important to note that blades of box and floor fans may be in easier reach of children and pets, so may not be the best fan for homes with small children and inquisitive pets. Models with high-velocity motors and an oscillating head will allow you to enjoy more efficient cooling.

Bing Lee recommends: Dimplex Air Circulator and Omega Altise Box Fan

The Cost Of Keeping Your Home Cool

The cost of keeping your home cool varies depending on the settings in use, the appliance’s wattage and how long the fan or air conditioner is in use for.

Generally, air conditioners tend to be more expensive to run than fans. Assuming you cooled a medium-sized room for 6 hours a day over 90 days, with an average reverse cycle air conditioner you could expect to pay between $194 to $378.

In comparison, the average 90-day running cost for a fan (for 6 hours a day, at 30c per kWh) is around $11 depending on the type of fan, it’s energy efficiency and the cost of electricity.

How do you keep your home cool in summer? Tell us in the comments below.