5 AC-Free Ways to Beat Hong Kong's Heat

Jun 16

2 minutes

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5 AC-Free Ways to Beat Hong Kong's Heat post illustrative image Hong Kong summers are often characterized by high temperatures and humidity. Running the air conditioner for long periods is both energy-consuming and not environmentally friendly. Below are 5 'air-conditioner-free cooling' methods compiled, relying solely on common household items and simple operations to quickly lower the perceived temperature on sultry days.

1. Fan × Evaporative Cooling

Operation: Quickly mop the floor with a wet mop, or place a basin of ice water/a sealed bag of ice cubes in front of the fan
Principle: When water evaporates, it absorbs latent heat, and the fan then brings the low-temperature airflow to the surface of the body, which can immediately reduce the temperature by 2–3 ℃
Note: If the indoor humidity is already higher than 80% (after rain, during the humid season), avoid adding more moisture

2. Eliminate indoor heat sources

Turn off computers, game consoles, and set-top boxes that are on standby for a long time
Switch to LED cold light sources, which can significantly reduce heat
Turn off electric stoves and rice cookers after cooking, and unplug them

3. Keep Ventilated

Before sunrise/during the night when temperatures are low: open windows diagonally and use a circulating fan to blow inward, introducing cooler outside air
During the peak of the day when it's hotter outside: close windows and turn on exhaust fans to expel accumulated heat indoors, preventing hot air from flowing back in
If ventilation openings are insufficient, slightly open the main door in conjunction with the windows

4. Make good use of curtains

For west-facing or top-floor units in hot summers: Install bamboo blinds, metal shutters, or sunshade nets outside the window to block direct radiant heat
Use high-shading and heat-insulating curtains; drawing the curtains before leaving home can make the indoor temperature 2–5 ℃ lower than "all-day sun exposure"

5. Humidity Control to Aid Cooling

In Hong Kong, the relative humidity in summer often exceeds 75%; the human body feels most comfortable in humidity levels below 60%.
Running a dehumidifier for 2–3 hours during the day can maintain humidity at 55–60%, making a 30 ℃ environment feel as if it's 2 ℃ cooler.