To combat the heat the main alternative is air conditioning, but is it worth installing it in Madrid? Is it an area warm enough to have to be placed? Let’s look at it in detail.
Type of weather in summer in Madrid
The climate in the Community of Madrid is very extreme, with cold winters and very warm summers. To get an idea of the temperatures reached in summer we will look at the average temperatures of the last 30 years in the capital.
| June | July | August | September | |
| Maximum absolute temperature (°C) | 38.5 | 39.5 | 40.0 | 37.0 |
| Average maximum temperature (°C) | 28.2 | 32.1 | 31.3 | 26.4 |
| Average temperature (°C) | 22.2 | 25.6 | 25.1 | 20.9 |
| Average minimum temperature (°C) | 16.1 | 19.0 | 18.8 | 15.4 |
Temperature measured in the Retiro Park of Madrid (667 masl) / Reference period: 1981-2010 / Source: Wikipedia
The hottest months are July and August. In this period the maximum exceeds 30 ºC on average, with peaks of up to 40 ºC. But there is another important moment: the night. The minimums barely fall below 19 ºC, which can result in very hot nights when it is difficult to fall asleep.
Advantages and disadvantages of putting air conditioning
Broadly speaking, here are the advantages and disadvantages of placing air conditioning in your home.
Advantages:
- Efficient system: air conditioning is a very efficient system to extract heat from the house
- Sleep better: the nights when the minimum is very high you can lower the temperature of the house to rest better
- Heat pump: if you install an air conditioner you have the possibility of using it as a heat pump in winter. This device is the cheapest to provide heat to the house
Inconvenience:
- Price: installing the air conditioning will not be especially economical. You must pay a minimum for 2 units (the exterior and the interior), as well as cover the installation costs
- Façade: the outdoor unit must be placed on the façade. If you live in a block of flats you should look for the best location so as not to disturb any neighbor
Isolation
When a house is warm, the first thing that crosses our mind is how to cool it. But there is another question you should ask yourself: what to do so that the heat does not enter.
The isolation in Madrid is very interesting: it will help you both in winter and summer. It will be an investment in changing the windows or improving the insulation of the walls, but you will save both in heating and air conditioning.
Here are the different insulation improvements you can make:
- Weatherstripping on doors and windows: they are cheap, simple to put and effective on windows that do not close well. It also serves for the bottom of the doors
- Change windows: look for double- or triple-glazed windows and frames with good thermal transmittance
- Improve the insulation of the walls and ceiling: depending on the year of construction of your home will have better or worse insulation. Contact a professional to give you a quote for insulation of exterior walls and roofs.
Alternatives to air conditioning
Ceiling fan
A ceiling fan is a fantastic idea for any home. They are much cheaper than an air conditioner and their operation is tremendously silent.
Thanks to the rotation of its blades it creates a slight current of air that will help you cool off. This air will help your body dissipate heat, generating a greater feeling of coolness.
Its consumption is much lower than that of air conditioning and there is a very elegant design. In Madrid you can find them in an infinity of shops. Ask about the price and installation costs to be able to evaluate it as an alternative.
Standing fan
A cheaper alternative to ceiling fans are standing fans. They work in the same way but have an important disadvantage compared to the roof: they are noisier.
On the other hand they are even cheaper and you can take it with you when you need it. These models can bring remote control and timers, so they will make it easier for you to use them when you are in bed.
Awnings
The awnings are an essential element for any home in Madrid that is exposed to the sun for several hours a day. The essential thing is to block solar radiation outside the house (before the window passes), and the awnings are perfect for this function.
On balconies it is common to see them, but if you need it, place one in the window through which more light enters. All this sunlight is adding heat to your home.
Other tips
Fans and awnings are perfect alternatives to air conditioning, but it will also be worth knowing these tips:
- Lower blinds: as soon as dawn lowers the blinds of the house until it stops giving the sun. You will prevent your home from rising in temperature quickly.
- Ventilate first thing in the morning: as soon as you get up (if it is early) open all the windows of your house. The air of the first thing in the morning is the coolest, so you should use it to cool the interior of your home.
- Shower before going to bed: A shower with warm water (and even pulling cold) will lower your body temperature and help you fall asleep quickly.
Portable air conditioning?
There is a cheaper type of air conditioning that does not need to be installed: portable air conditioning.
The problem with this system is that it has a tube in which it expels the hot air that must go outside. You must remove it through a window, so that the cold can also escape if you do not remove the tube correctly.
It is not as efficient as wall air conditioning. Think carefully before opting for this solution, since it has these two great disadvantages: lower efficiency and the need to remove a tube to the outside of the house.
Conclusion
If your home gets too hot in summer, try to improve its insulation and use fans. If you can not isolate it properly and the use of fans is not enough, consider air conditioning.
The advantage is that you will get a heat pump that will help you also heat your home in winter and summers will be more bearable.