At home, there is a temperature not to be exceeded to keep a pleasant interior in summer. After this threshold, comfort collapses.
Heat wave and heat wave are back this summer and the accommodation is on the front line. Once the heat has entered inside a house or an apartment, difficult to bring the thermometer down and spend pleasant nights. However, it is essential to maintain a certain freshness inside. In France, there is no precise law which fixes a maximum temperature not to be exceeded in a housing in summer, unlike winter where a threshold of 19 ° C is recommended for heating. On the other hand, there are recommendations and rules of comfort and experts agree on a maximum temperature that housing should not exceed to stay comfortable. And it’s not that easy to respect.
For ADEME (agency of the ecological tradition) but also the WHO (World Health Organization), there is no doubt: beyond a certain indoor temperature, the heat gradually becomes uncomfortable and tiring, especially without ventilation. It is not a dangerous threshold but a tipping point of comfort which can be harmful. Thus, the ideal temperature of an accommodation in summer is around 26 ° C maximum, with another important criterion: circulating air. For ADEME, accommodation at 26 ° C remains bearable if you can make air currents or have recourse to a fan and adopt the right gestures like closing the shutters and avoiding heating devices. For what ? Simply because the stagnant air worsens the feeling of warmth. The role of ventilation is therefore essential. For example, 27 or 28 ° C with circulating air is often much more bearable than 26 ° C in a stifling and humid atmosphere.
Beyond well-being, ADEME draws attention to the fact that cooling a accommodation within 26 ° C is expensive in energy, especially with air conditioning. Each degree less increasing energy consumption by 5 to 10%, it is better to stay reasonable and bet on a good compromise between health, comfort and energy sobriety.
To limit the rise in temperature in a accommodation, it is advisable to keep the shutters, blinds and windows closed during the hottest hours of the day. Aeration is preferably made early in the morning or in the evening, when the outside air is cooler, by promoting the creation of an air current. The use of a fan, associated with a damp cloth or an icy bottle placed in front, can strengthen the feeling of freshness.
