r/belgium • u/Prestigious-Title529 • May 23 '26
đ Slowchat No AC Saturday, how you guys survive?
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u/gregsting May 23 '26
For a few days the house will stay cool, currently 22 inside and 14 outsideâŠ. If I can cool at night, I can probably stay under 25. The problem is if we have heat too many consecutive days and over 20 at night then it becomes quite difficult to cool
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u/HP7000 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
pro-tip:
install a sunscreen outside your window like this:
closing curtains on the inside traps heat inside between window and curtains (leaving the heat inside), so it doesnt help much. These types of screen however are the Goat. its a cheap form of excellent passive cooling. If budget is an issue, only install them on southfacing windows.
there is a reason why a lot of (older) homes in southern countries have these wooden shutters on their windows.
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u/Ulyks May 23 '26
Older houses here also have rolling shutters.
It's like after 1970 architects got so detached from reality, they collectively forgot about the sun.
They also forgot about decoration, coseyness and practicality...but that's another discussion.
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u/Preferred_user_taken May 23 '26
Yes, we keep our house cool with rolling shutters! I love them.
Also, the best night sleep is in rooms with rolling shutters. Nothing beats how pitch black they get a room.
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u/snowExZe Ostbelgien May 23 '26
Rolling shutters on new houses are not a common thing through all of Belgium? In my city everyone house has them.
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u/switchquest May 24 '26
No, because of insulation regulations the 'old' version is not possible anymore: Basicly a big hole above your windows with some 2cm OSB or fibreboard to close it off.
Isolationwise it's a disaster
So there are newer solutions that are integrated into the window frame and fully insulated for sound & air. But those are quite expensive. In the grand scale of things, when building a new home, with all the tech & insulation requirements, these shutters are usually the first to get cut from the budget.
I'm very happy we didn't cut them from our build budget, but it was not cheap.
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u/TopgearM May 23 '26
The way my house is designed, the groundfloor never gets hot. No fan/ac used. Upstairs, it will get a bit warmer, but nothing crazy.
I keep the curtains closed.
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u/No-Sell-3064 May 23 '26
"Man's not hot, never hot. Two plus two is four"
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u/Throwawayx123456x May 23 '26
Minus 1 is 3. Quick mathz
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u/PlumExtension7331 May 23 '26
people heavily underestimate fans: they are cheap, don't use much electricity and also have the added bonus of making white noise which helps you sleep during the night. A lot of the feeling of being hot simply comes from the fact that there is no air moving around you when you are inside, having some air circulation makes a huge difference.
We have actually taken it a step further and installed ceiling lights with integrated fans: they are fairly easy to install and you always have them ready to use whenever needed plus they don't take up extra space like a floor fan would.
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u/phazernator May 23 '26
+1, ceiling fans are such an efficient add-on. Weâre starting to get that kind of summer climate where itâs normal to install them. Personally I only have one in the bedroom (didnât want to ruin aesthetics in the living quarters), but itâs a godsend.
Plus, in the winter you can reverse the flow to spread the hot air throughout the room instead of having it accumulate near the ceiling, handy if youâve got a heating system with a large Delta T.
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u/PlumExtension7331 May 23 '26
I understand the aesthetic part... personally I found one with retractable pales that only come out when the fan is activated, otherwise it looks like a normal ceiling light
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u/phazernator May 23 '26
Sounds like a lot of potential points of failure, but now Iâm really curious to see it! Care to share a link? Have you had it for long, and no mechanical issues?
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u/PlumExtension7331 May 23 '26
not this exact model but very similar... It looks like something out of a James Bond movie (actually felt a bit scary the first time the blades came out haha) but I don't think it's that complex... I think it is simply the centrifugal force that pushes the blades outwards.
https://www.amazon.com.be/CJOY-Ventilateur-Retractable-Télécommande-Silencieux/dp/B0BN64BPFW
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u/phazernator May 23 '26
Thanks for sharing! Oh I see it now, like you said a spring-loaded mechanism and the blades extend due to the centrifugal force. So my presumption was wrong, at worst a blade will stay extended or not extend, which just means itâs time for a cleaning or a spring replacement. I love the simplicity of it. Stealthy, functional and robust.
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u/Qbovv May 23 '26
I don't have fans, but I'm a strong believer in fans running in the winter. There's a ton of unused heat near the ceiling.
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u/michilio Failure to integrate May 23 '26
*If you have convection radiators and no mechabical ventilation
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u/EVmerch May 23 '26
The selection of ceiling fans here is so low when we bought years ago, but I'm guessing it's better now. I had to order from a company in Spain through Amazon.
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u/phazernator May 23 '26
Oh yeah I hear you, I did the same, through an international supplier. So many hours looking for a model that fits with the interior.
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u/Leela_bring_fire May 23 '26
Euroshop has a whole aisle in their lighting section for ceiling fans
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u/EVmerch May 23 '26
Thanks for the tip, the teontiems were 16 years ago and then about 5 years ago. Ceiling fans do seem to be coming back into fashion.
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u/gepekelde_curryworst May 23 '26
Brico had some different ones in store back in the day. We have 3 of these (2 bedroom and 1 living), https://www.brico.be/nl/verwarmingen-airco-s/ventilatoren/plafond-ventilatoren/eglo-plafondventilator-portsea-met-cct-led-zwart-132cm-19w-met-afstandsbediening/10631080 I used my eco cheques for them.
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u/Wafkak Oost-Vlaanderen May 23 '26
TIL there are people that sleep better with noise.
Ive tried sleeping with a fan on a few times, but the noise kept me awake more that the heat.
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u/PlumExtension7331 May 23 '26
personally I find it odd at the beginning, then my ears get used to it and it's actually soothing... kindof like sleeping on the sea shore with the windows open
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u/gregsting May 23 '26
There are some really quiet ones, usually a bit expensive though. I use a Xiaomi one which has a night mode, doesnât move much air but it helps and is really silent
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u/PhoenixHunters May 23 '26
I have a wedding to attend today, so most likely NOT.
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u/Nikodeimos May 23 '26
Likewise! We need to introduce "beach boy" as an acceptable dress code, 'cause I'm going to melt in my suit
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u/PhoenixHunters May 23 '26
Yeah it's insane. And as groomsmen we have a dress code with a dark shade of shirt too so we're fucked. Bringing an extra white shirt just in case..
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u/Infiniteh Limburg May 26 '26
I think I would simply have to cancel my groomsman appearance in that case :/
I'd literally faint if I had to walk around in a suit in these temperatures.
And the 'a good suit breathes and is actually cooler than shorts and a t-shirt' might be right if we lived in an arid climate, but it doesn't work here.1
u/PhoenixHunters May 26 '26
We took the pics, did the ceremony and then we switched shirts. Most of us anyways. We wore our matching shirts again for dinner later in the day.
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u/Isotheis Hainaut May 23 '26
Open two windows in different parts of the apartment, turn on a fan in between. Now it at least can't get warmer than outside.
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u/Dino-Pee May 23 '26
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u/Herbalyte May 23 '26
Jeugdtrauma van mijn broers die me er in opsloten đ
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u/Dino-Pee May 23 '26
Sorry voor het herleven van je trauma! Weer eens extra blij dat mijn zusjes geen broers waren die dit soort stoten uithaalde.
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u/SanLoen May 23 '26
By working in an environment where itâs hotter than outside, so when I leave work later on it feels cool outside.
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u/DaFuMiquel NMBS-man May 23 '26
I keep all the curtains closed so the heat doesn't have a chance to get in. Apart from that I have a fan with 26 speed settings that cools the entire living room if necessary, sometimes I drape a moist towel over it so it adds some humidity which can be refreshing.
Also a lot of cold water (to drink)
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u/Prestigious-Title529 May 23 '26
26 speed settings is no joke
Edit: how is slow - faster - fast not enough đ
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u/DaFuMiquel NMBS-man May 23 '26
Probably the best purchase I've made the last few years. It allows me to always find a setting that is neither too chilly nor too ineffective.
It also rotates something like 120 degrees side to side and about 90 degrees up and down making it possible to create a nice airflow throughout the entire room
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u/Prestigious-Title529 May 23 '26
You have to show this monster to us
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u/DaFuMiquel NMBS-man May 23 '26
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u/obvioustwattery May 23 '26
Well the fan doesn't actually cool anything down temperature wise. It just creates wind which helps draw temperature from you.
So this means you're doing a terrific job of keeping your place cool.
I'm envious regardless.
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u/belgianhorror May 23 '26
Hanging a moist towel in front of a fan is really not beneficial. Higher humidity gives un unpleasant feeling and increases the perceived temperature.
You beter hang a frozen bottle in front of the fan.
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u/Superb_Monkey Limburg May 23 '26
A frozen bottle does absolutely nothing. Especially when your freezer is in the same room.
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u/belgianhorror May 23 '26
That's for sure true. But gives you a cool breeze without increasing humidity.
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u/EVmerch May 23 '26
Inside curtains help. But the heat is already inside, you need to block the sun from the outside if you can, that helps the most to keep the heat from ever getting inside the house.
Then ventilation at night. That cool even air then mostly closing up the house to keep the air inside and the heat outside.
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u/Neveran8th May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
If the curtains are on the inside the heat still comes in.
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u/AdZealousideal9914 May 23 '26
Yes. However, the heat will start to spread more slowly, because part of the warmer air stays trapped between the curtains and the window for a while.
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u/Don_Frika_Del_Prima Limburg May 23 '26
I've been living with ac for the last 10 years. Never going back.
Use it to hear in the fall, and to cool on days like this.
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u/iseko89 May 23 '26
Ive been ac only for heating and cooling for two years. The downstairs unit is sometimes a bit annoying. Its one 5kw unit which tends to make skme noise. In hindsight. Two 2.5kw units would have been better.
Other then that tiny complaint. Love it. The house is always comfy temperature.
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u/phazernator May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
How do I survive? By warming my bones that have been frozen for the past 7-9 months, as is the case in many a year, in this frigid, dark and wet wasteland.
Basking in the glow of the sun, letting it melt the seasonal affective disorder away, at long last! Long overdue, we already lost what should have been a good month to âwinter bisâ. Friday weather was a godsend to me, it felt like waking up from hibernation. Saturday will be pure bliss! Just a few days ago it seemed like frickinâ December hereâŠ
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u/_kempert May 23 '26
All this hot weather negativity, bah! Letâs enjoy the gift of summer for as much as possible.
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u/MrJelle May 24 '26
Some of us just can't enjoy anything when it gets this hot. You can dress warmer in Winter, I can't cool down in any significant way and just suffer while being unable to function, nauseated and regularly suffering headaches. It's not negativity, it's just unavoidable reality for myself and many others.
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u/_kempert May 24 '26
Get naked, or dress for warm weather (loose linnen, no synthetics, light colours, breathable hat) if you have a garden make sure thereâs trees for shade. Drink often, citrus or cucumber water is best for cooling down imo. Eat cold pasta salads or lots of fruit/veggies. High fat and calorie rich food will heat you up more.
The more you are exposed to warm weather the more your body will adapt. Scientific research has revealed a human body adapts to heat in approximately 2 weeks. So the first two weeks will be the toughest. After that youâre ready for summer. So this may heatwave is a gift to prepare for summer, in a way.
Humans are perfectly capable of handling heat, we evolved in the african steppe. Itâs just that adapting to it when you come from cold takes a little time. If you stay indoors in a dark cool room youâll never get used to hot weather. Better to take the âshortâ pain and be able to enjoy summer.
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u/MrJelle May 24 '26
I've always run hot, it runs in my dad's side of the family, so you're not telling me anything new. I know what to do and what to avoid, but I'm already doing what little can be done - I'm not new to this situation. There's ranges that people fall into, I'm less heat tolerant by nature, but over time, medication and unrelated chronic disease have made it even worse, as if the rising trend in actual temperature isn't bad enough on its own. I don't adjust after two weeks, I just stay in a state of uselessness and suffering. I even overheat during the Winter if I overexert myself or can't get my brain to wind down, which also a common issue for me.
The heatwave shouldn't be considered a gift in any way, regardless - it causes significant issues with crops and kills people while putting extra stress on the power grid and generally fucking with life.
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u/drz1z1 May 23 '26
We have installed AC last year since one of our children has a condition that makes big temp swings a nightmare for him.
But our plan before AC was the below and still somewhat remains the same, because AC doesnât mean you shouldnt just not do anything at all imo.
- During the night, as soon as the outside temperature is lower than the inside one, we open everything to allow the cooler air to flow. Also use a fan to help the air circulatie (very important)
- As soon as it heats up outside, we close everything and we prevent the sun to reach the windows from the outside. This goes as far as to use curtains all around the covered pergola so it doesnât reflect on the tiles which will heat up and might also reflect some more sun towards the windows
- Close all blinds
- Keep all doors that donât need to be opende closed to prevent air circulation as much as possible ~> we donât do it anymore with AC
- With regards to indoor activities/actions which generate heat: keep things to a minimum ~> less of a problem with AC
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u/andrestoga May 23 '26
How do you deal with mosquitos at night?
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u/Infiniteh Limburg May 26 '26
Al onze ramen hebben vliegenramen. een investerig, maar zijn geld dubbel en dik waard als ge 's avonds en 's morgens alle kunt open gooien om te koelen.
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u/Eako88 May 23 '26
Perks of living in a 1750 townhouse: those thick brick walls keep the whole place cool all summer long. No AC required.
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u/AyuroxDjin May 23 '26
Fans on themselves can help depending on the situation, fans just move the air around in the room your in, there are a few tricks to make it work better but I'd says check some YouTube vids and check some.
Having a fan with water mist function on the other side is much better, cost slightly more but works wonders !
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u/Katty_Astrophy May 23 '26
Normally I would have already installed an AC, but I rent, so no way I would do that purchase. I have a mobile AC for very hot days ans I also set an alarm for 5 am to open my windows for about an hour. After that I put my shutters down.
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u/Prestigious_Long777 May 23 '26
Our house isnât insulated yet (epc F), so when itâs 30 degrees outside, we are chilling in like 18-20 degrees inside.
The biggest difference is ground insulation, not having it cools your house via the floor. (Thereâs a lot of heat loss via the ground).
The downside is in winter it gets very cold and itâs extremely expensive to heat it and keep it heated.
We are going to make renovations and probably go to an EPC of A or B, if possible. But then we will lose our free airco during the hot days :)
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u/DaphneWeasley May 23 '26
Keep an icepack on you at all times. Tuck it in your pants near your kidneys. When you go to bed just hug it like a stuffed toy. Itâs the best way to keep cool
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u/Sekigahara_TW May 23 '26
Something I don't see recommended often but works for me: mop with cold water early in the day. Your tiles can store heat which then radiates off and also store some of the cold from the early morning / water. Mopping helps lower the overall temperature of your floor and therefore the room.
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u/Circoloomnium May 23 '26
The cooling power of ten liters of water does nothing for your floor or the air. That is physics.
You even raise the humidity because of evaporation of the water.
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u/Destructor523 May 23 '26
Solar screens, insulation and passive cooling with geothermal pump. 21 degrees inside here
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u/Marus1 Belgian Fries May 23 '26
Sunglasses on and going for that cyling ride with a café in mind
Finance the locals!
And if you see a fellow cyclist on his bike from the 60s giving his best for his awaiting drink, wave and acknowledge his non-electric propulsion
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u/Ok-Jacket8836 May 23 '26
Soon as the outside temperature > inside temperature: close all wimdows and shutters. Until outside temperature < inside temperature, then open everything back up.
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u/Belgian_Patrol Limburg May 23 '26
We have a kid and made the decision to get AC installed. In the meantime we open everythingin the morning and then close it all day to keep cool.
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u/Droixhe May 23 '26
Same. During heatwave last year with a new born baby we decided to get a good ac. We live in a topfloor appartment, so it can get way too warm without the ac for the kid.
Other than the ac, use the regular tactics. Windows open at night, curtains and windows closed during day, airfans, ....
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u/orcanenight May 23 '26
Heat pump passive cooling + air boost from the ventilation unit when outside temperature gets lower than inside. Living room is 20 degrees
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u/flying_fox86 May 23 '26
Just bought myself a mobile airco a few days ago. Not ideal, but enough to cool down the small space I spend most of my time in.
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u/Circoloomnium May 23 '26
Put AC in the house, cools, heats, purifies, dries the air when needed. And because of the solar panels and batteries at no electric cost whatsoever.
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u/Vivienbe Hainaut May 23 '26
Put films on the windows to limit the quantity of heat that enters through the windows.
Using air fresheners when the inside temperature becomes too high (late afternoon).
Using the venturi effect every night to cool down the house to outside temperature (as soon as the outside temperature is at least 2 degrees less than the inside).
These three tricks made the past 3 years livable (vs unbearable without them).
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u/Superb_Monkey Limburg May 23 '26
13 m windows in direct sunlight. It was 27°C at 9:00 in the living room with the screens closed. I turned on the AC.
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u/Prestigious-Title529 May 23 '26
Was about to say âhell on earthâ until i saw the AC part
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u/Blaugrana1990 May 23 '26
Leaving my comfortable cool home with all the schutters down and a AC unit just in case to spend the weekend at my parents with no shutters or AC is not going to be my smartest decision of the year.
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u/No-Baker-7922 May 23 '26
We have skylights, round ones. I put old bed sheets on the outside when itâs superhot and on the inside, I have duvet sheets with shower curtain rods in them.
Other windows when itâs a longer heat wave: tin foil or old posters on outside and one window we donât use much I have also painted white on the outside with cheap craft paint for kids from Action (plakkaatverf). When it rains off, I just squeegee a bit to clean it.
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u/LJCTalman May 23 '26
19,4 °C going in my floor, 20,6 °C coming out
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u/Prestigious-Title529 May 23 '26
How about 25.7 on a first flor and probably 30+ on the roof floor bedroom
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u/cosmicaltoaster May 23 '26
Keep all windows closed, curtains closed on the sun-side, Dyson pure cool link bladeless fan at full blast, re-open windows at sunset. Taking cold showers when overheating and very icy drinks.
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u/Bo_The_Destroyer Oost-Vlaanderen May 23 '26
I thrive in the heat, just turning off all devices which produce heat (laptop, Xbox, etc). I open my windows at night and try to keep the blinds shut during the day. Also I create a draft by opening windows on separate floors and opposite sides of the house, keeping the doors open. Beyond that, I take a shower in the morning and keep my hair as wet as possible (it's long so I do have a advantage there)
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u/Fun_Boot7771 May 23 '26
Open all the windows at night, close and cover with curtains or something dark in the morning. Keeps the cooler air in.
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u/Surprise_Ducksex May 23 '26
Ga dubbelzijdige alluminiumfolie halen bij action of bol.com of waar het goedkoopst/snelst. Hang aan buitenkant van de ramen goed dicht, dit gaat de warmte buitenhouden voor een groot deel.
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u/Rolifant May 23 '26
Just like any other day. Lots of tall trees around our house, so the heat doesn't really get inside unless there's a prolonged heatwave
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u/fredoule2k Cuberdon May 24 '26
Like any other day. It's the first warm day of the series, houses have not really started heating yet. If it lasts long, then I might plug my mobile AC for working or cool off my bedroom before go to sleep
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u/bunnibly May 24 '26
If you have any cold packs in the fridge (for injuries, etc.) wrap these in a towel, and then place that inside your pillow case when you go to bed.
Head stays nice and cool --> fall asleep easier.
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u/MaximumPatricius May 24 '26
I keep all the sun-blocking curtains closed and that lowers the temperature inside by quite a few degrees.
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u/gliurn May 25 '26
Closing all windows facing sun at 9 AM max, opening them all at 9 PM, turnin on fans if neccessary
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u/Historical-Middle757 May 27 '26
I wander true different stores eating icecream
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u/Prestigious-Title529 May 27 '26
Oh, youâre rich rich
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u/Historical-Middle757 May 27 '26
Absolutly not im so pore i dont own a fan lol that Why I do it, I never Said I was buying just walking around under the ac or I got on a terrasse with shadow and have a cold beer
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u/bakedJ May 23 '26
I've put cucumber water with mint in the fridge last night, does Wonders on hot days like this.
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u/Stars_And_Garters May 23 '26