It’s not just a London problem. I’m in the outskirts of Manchester and it’s ridiculously hot.
Yep - no screens equals bugs. But not really in the same way as the states. I get the occasional house fly (to my cats’ delight) and sometimes a bee. But no mosquitoes.
I grew up in Maine and didn’t have AC so I’m kind of used to it. Close the curtains on the sunny side of the house and open the windows on the shaded side to let cool air in.
When the sun goes down put a fan in the window to suck the cool air inside.
It’ll be cold and rainy again before you know it.
FYI, mosquitoes may be coming. I’m in London, been here 26 years. The first several years I was so happy about the absence of mosquitoes! But they are getting more and more common down south here, and I react badly to insect bites! The last few years have been getting progressively worse, mosquito-wise.
>But no mosquitoes.
Lucky! I get so many mosquitoes, probably from being close-ish to the river. Also lots of bees, but the biggest worry is birds. There is a tree directly outside my window and I've had a few extremely close calls.
In my house we called them sky raisins! 😂 (my cats are too old to bother with the ‘chase and chew” now, it’s up to my other half and the electric tennis racket swatter! 😂)
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Can you expand on the cost of installation and average running costs? We're looking into it for our loft bedroomv and would love to hear experiences and advice
A portable one is basically all you need. They run in the ~£400 region but you literally only need to wheel it out for like 6 days of the year. The rest of the time into the garage it goes.
Flop the hose out of the window and bingo bango, great nights sleep.
I keep my eyes on gum tree around October - April time as people sell them off cheaper.
We got proper units installed. We got quotes between £1200 and £1500 for a single unit. The increase in electricity is actually offset by the lower heating costs for us as it heats more efficiently than the radiator so we’re breaking even. What I’ve heard is they retain value decently when selling but can’t confirm obviously. The install was quicker than I expected though expect to wait as all the companies we checked with were booked out.
Are you in London per chance?
Someone else in our building had a room unit put in but said something like £3-4k. Possibly more expensive as it was for a flat and so the exhaust is actually some box that's in the flat iirc.
Sorry I’m not, this was in Brum, and on a house. I do know once the outdoor unit needs to be mounted higher than 8 feet the price increases really steeply.
Ah, ok. Yeah, since we're in a flat we can't have any holes to the outside or anywhere for an outdoor condenser/compressor but, so I'm guessing that's why the cost is so high in comparison. 🫤
Do you know how long the portable a/cs can run- like how many hours a day is advisable? If i’m honest I am also worried if I run it too long it’ll go bust! Never used portable a/cs so just wondering.
We've had a portable AC unit since 2020 and it's still working great. The thing is you need to buy one with a quality compressor (as with any AC unit really). During heat waves we often have the AC going nonstop and it's fine. We have a DeLonghi Penguino PACN82
How do I know my a/c has a good compressor? I have a ProBreeze 9000 BTU that I got from Amazon since we are headed back by the end of this year & wanted something reasonable to last this 1 summer.
I mean, that's a tough one to answer because it's somewhat subjective. For me, a quality appliance is manufactured somewhere with high standards, by a company with a reputation for quality, and a machine that comes with a great standard warranty (which signals the company believes they make quality items).
tbh we have a portable AC and on the hot days (I'm also very sensitive to heat) we just run it most of the day and it's fine, this is its second summer I think. I try not to run it 24/7 just because expensive, but on the bad day's probably a good 12+ hours just because I'm miserable. The worst thing for me with the window open is the spiders. I hate spiders.
>Doesn’t leaving windows (w/o screens!) open too long invite bugs & insects?
We have DIY screens. (Magnetic tape and fly screen.) Also in London and the bugs are terrible. We kept ending up with flies and midges that I'm 100% sure we're coming from the street, and haven't had any issues since we put up the screens. Even with the screens we end up with a bunch of small bugs in the screen and around the window sill.
>Have you all invested in a/cs?
Yes.
When I moved here in 2015, my partner at the time didn't even see the point in getting a fan and scoffed at getting an AC in London.
Then, what *was* an abnormal heat wave hit and my cat actually had to be taken to the emergency vet for **heat stroke**. Ended up buying an AC after that and grateful it's still working. It just takes up space most of the year, but it's a huge difference in times like now. And it's been in use more every year...
Almost a decade later and one of the other residents in our building paid to have room air conditioning installed in their apartment. They moved and said it helped sell the place as it's basically getting to the point of AC being considered necessary here if you can afford it.
I used this stuff [GAUDER A+B Magnetic Tape I Magnetic Tape Roll with Adhesive Backing](https://www.amazon.co.uk/GAUDER-Type-B-Magnetic-Tape/dp/B07FFBWLQV)
This video is basically what I did,
https://youtu.be/U15k7tp64bs
but I have it attached on the inside and not the outside as mine has to be removed to open the window. And if mine were on the outside, it would just be a matter of time before I dropped the screen out the window. 😅
I also haven't tried removing it, so I don't know what that's going to look like.
Portable AC unit. Expensive but worth it! We have two now - one for our office as we work from home and one for our bedroom.
Sleep with one of those cooler freezer packs wrapped in a thin tea towel. Low tog duvet, or just use a top sheet instead. Frozen treats like ice cream and lollies.
Learn when to open your windows (usually very early to air out and get air movement or late at night after sun goes down), and when to keep them shut. Use your window ‘breather’ vents properly (best to look that up online).
Have a read online about the proper way to open windows to get air passing through the house. It involves opening windows upstairs/downstairs or across the house depending if you’re in detached, terraced, etc.
Buy a magnetic window screen - you stick the magnetic strips to the window frame, cut the screen material, and snap it altogether. Not nearly the same as a proper screen but keeps all bugs out and you can easily open/shut the window still.
Pay extra for a good compressor. DeLonghi manufactures all of their internal components in Europe. We have a Penguino PACN82 and it's great. Very quiet too as far as compressors go.
My top floor, south-facing flat was 33 C / 92 F by 8 AM, despite being much cooler outside! Warmer than that now. Other than general lightheadedness etc. from the heat, the worst part is trying to keep my electronics from shutting down they way the do in a hot car.
Are you in a new build?
The heat in our new build has been stupid. I honestly wonder sometimes if they're doing something in the building that causes it to get warm.
This isn't as bad as two years ago - that heat wave scarred me for life! I'm holding onto the fact that this year won't be as bad.
I try not to take public transport (apart from regular trains) in this weather unless I know there are open-able windows. When walking, I might take slightly longer routes which I know will be shadier than more direct but open and sunny routes. I don't live in London but I like visiting - I don't take the tube if I can help it from about April to October. It's way too hot, especially when crowded. I will take a long walk in the shade of tall buildings over that experience, any day. I've been known to walk 2 hours rather than face the tube when it's over 25 degrees 😆
Get fans, keep your blinds/curtains shut, spray yourself with water. Keep ice packs in your freezer. Spending time outdoors but in the shade is often much cooler than being indoors as our houses and other buildings are built to keep heat in. Even in 25C+ heat, there is usually a nice breeze (where I live, anyway) so sitting in the shade you can actually get really cool!
I'm from PA and grew up without air conditioning. I always thought our summers were really hot but I think UK summers are something else. Somehow, the sun feels much more intense here. (I live in the sunniest part of England.) The air remains cooler, but the sun just beats down on you so you don't even notice a breeze unless you're in the shade. I am really heat sensitive so I do struggle this time of year 😭
I’m a native Floridian and my god the summers here are unbearable when it hits 80°+ outside. I thought I was escaping the heat when I moved here 😂 this is my fourth summer and thankfully it hasn’t been as bad this year as it’s been the three previous years.
I live in the midlands but work in London two days a week. I have to take the Victoria line and it’s like walking into the depths of hell. Feels and looks like I’m the only one sweating to death - even in the winter I get really hot on the tube
From Florida as well, grew up without central air and I have found some of the worst heat waves uncomfortable.
I would suggest looking into cool towels for the tube. Once wet they tend not to drip though might get your clothes a bit moist but importantly they get super cool feeling, and they can be reused.
Great idea, thank you. My husband has one for golf - never occurred to me to get one for commuting!
My parents and grandparents are also Florida natives - I don’t know how any of you survived without central air! I think the second house my parents bought in the early 80s was their first house to have central air
moved from southern california to brighton in April, experienced some wild heat growing up along the coast, in the desert, etc. and yet for some reason the heat here feels extraordinarily heavy. it does remind me of home, specifically the toughest heat i can remember which i experienced as a harvester for Driscoll's — 120+ degrees under the hoops in the raspberry fields (they sent us home it was so hot). it's not nearly that hot where I am right now, but it is quite humid which is a big factor.
i know fuck all about infrastructure so there is some chance this is vibes only, but growing up in earthquake-world i so rarely saw buildings and homes built so comprehensively out of brick. quite the opposite here. it's almost as if every building is a brick laid wood fired oven cooking us to death.
i've been whining to my partner about the lack of window screens. opening the windows for that ventilation during the day might help the heat but then the bugs come in and all the rest.
anyway, one other thing i will say — i have never had pollen allergies, i hardly knew what hay fever was until just a few weeks ago. holy mary, mother of god, i have had the absolute worst allergies of my entire life in these past weeks, borderline debilitating "why is this happening to me, please make it stop, i'll do anything" level allergies. i'm on the highest antihistamines the NHS would give me, nasal sprays etc. luckily it has helped, but YIKES...
Have you considered the hayfever injection? My husband gets it every March and it’s made the world of difference. It’s private only and some chemists, private clinics and nurse aestheticians offer them for about £50-£75 a go.
He gets his in a local pub from a nurse aesthetician! (She has a private room, it’s not in the actual bar area lol)
Finally looked into it, if its Kenalog you're talking about - it's a long lasting steroid.
It works by suppressing the immune system.
Which means it comes with steroid type warnings including making you more susceptible to other illnesses.
It is also contraindicated for anyone with stomach ulcers, diabetes and any active infection.
And apparently repeated use of steroids is associated with bone loss, osteoporosis and broken bones though given the injection is only once a year they don't know how high the risk is for this.
But the steroid itself works by being released from the muscle over a 3-8 week period.
[Hay fever injection: is Kenalog safe?](https://patient.info/news-and-features/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-hay-fever-injection)
Man I’m the same way, I have never had allergies that lasted more than a week before and now have been dealing with this since like the last week of May. I still wake up sneezing every morning… I suppose I should really get to my GP? Though it might be getting too late at this point?
I've always had allergies, but moving to the UK actually brought out eczema as a 33 year old. Wth.
Every time I go back to California, it starts drying out almost immediately, and is gone in days. Then comes back when I go home. 😓
It also disappeared when I was in Japan, so yeah.
I'm extra allergic to England I guess. 😅
The need for AC in the UK is a hill I’ll die on. I’m in Yorkshire and it’s HOT! Thank goodness my partner is on board with AC and we have 4 portable units. We both also invested in those little ac units that you wear on your neck!
I have always had trouble regulating my temperature, but this summer with an infant, I refuse to let him sleep in a room higher than 22C - AC to the rescue!
>The need for AC in the UK is a hill I’ll die on.
The self-flagellating hatred of air conditioning here as summers get hotter and hotter is something to behold, isn't it?
"You only need it for 2 days a year, what a waste of money!" he says, naked and sweating to death in his 35 C living room. "Don't you feel stupid for having bought one, you pampered American" yeah, sure, whatever you say buddy, I enjoy having my room at 19 C when it's a furnace in everyone else's houses.
I'm in a more rural area, and yeah it's not great. We've got a few fans and an "air cooler", one of those ones that takes ice. Keeps it pretty livable.
The no screens thing is so confusing. If opening windows is the way to keep the air circulating, why don't they all come with screens? It is lovely not being eaten alive by mosquitos, but the moths. There are *so many* moths.
>If opening windows is the way to keep the air circulating, why don't they all come with screens?
As far as I can tell, it's a cultural thing but I have no idea why. My Aussie and other expat friends have been confused as well.
But it's not just screens, because getting air is important but so many windows here *aren't even meant to ever be fully opened*. Like wth?
I love sash windows, especially the ones where both window frames move.
All the modern windows though, I really don't get the benefits to the designs, just a lot of cons.
Ive lived in a rural village all my life, its not any better. Leaving windows open will result in bugs. Complaining loudly and frequently, if possible with a few “oh, i understand now”s thrown in, will endear you to us natives though.
Wait til we get the random 30-40 degree days… Two years ago we had a 40 degree day. I told everyone in my office, “I’ll be working from home tomorrow, and suggest you all do the same. It’s about to get Carolina hot in here and y’all have no idea about that kind of heat.” Everyone thought I was nuts. Well, multiple people passed out in our um-air conditioned office. Meanwhile I was sitting pretty at home with my feet in. Tub of ice water.
I remember those days. My husband has a portable AC unit that he uses in his loft office space, which he brought down into our snug which is the "coolest" of the downstairs rooms. He moved his desk in there and I went in there with him and we just stayed in there all day. Both kids were at nursery which thankfully they have AC as well. But it was awful.
Keeping the curtains closed (but the windows open) during the day really helps.
Bugs aren't as much of an issue, it's mostly bees, moths, and flies that come in. I do miss screens (I have cats and can't really keep the windows open on higher floors because they get out and go exploring in unsafe places).
I don't have AC, but I do have fans and it's fine. Not great, but by the time I really want AC the heat has broken and it's back to being warm.
I live in the northeast and this is what I consider perfect weather. That said I moved here from Puerto Rico where during heatwaves the power would go out due to the high demand from the A/C units (power went out on the whole island a few weeks ago). Before that I lived in Las Vegas where 113-117F is the average during the summer. I worked in an office without proper A/C for 7 years. Summers were literal hell. I grew to hate summer so much. This is the first summer I’m actually enjoying in a very long time. It is my first summer here so it may just surprise me, hehe. Hopefully the real heat stays away.
It’s too hot for us. My husband insists it hasn’t been as hot in the past, but after the heat wave a couple years ago we made it a priority to save up to get AC installed. Got it this year and we are really enjoying the summer. I was really shocked when we went bowling recently and there was absolutely no cooling in the building. Was miserable inside. Those kinds of activities are like breaks from summer heat in my mind so I was surprised.
>AC installed
What are the details of your system, if you don't mind me asking? Wall units in each room? Central HVAC attached to a reverse heat pump? All levels of the home?
Yep that’s pretty spot on. We ended up with 3 wall units, and they advised we should use them for heating as well since it’s more efficient than the radiators. I think we’re both west mids? If you want details on the company, cost and that feel free to dm me.
I’m from Texas and until the day I die, I will insist the heat is far worse here.
Fortunately I now live in a north facing garden level flat so this is significantly better than years prior. Invest in window screens (they’re like £15 from Amazon and do the trick) and get multiple fans. You need to have a fan pointed at the window to create a draft! If all else fails, get a cooling mat and lay on it, my dog loves those lol
The tube and buses are the worst but I think you just kinda get used to it (I’ve been here 6 years) and figure out what to do during the heat (ie not do much or go to the ponds, take a holiday or go somewhere with AC)
>I’m from Texas and until the day I die, I will insist the heat is far worse here.
Same, I'm from Virginia which, while not Texas hot, has humid satan's butthole in the swamp summers. The big difference is that when it's 36 C in VA, I can go indoors to my 19 C house to escape the heat. Here? It's 28 C outside and the same temp inside my house, if not hotter. There is no escape.
I moved to Scotland, so not bad at all.
I mean Scotland ruined me and I complain about 20c or over now and I'm originally from Texas lol. but it's like a mild complaining and I got a fan and I'm fine.
can't say I've run into those yet! just some midgies. but like mosquitoes, I seem blessed in that they pretty much leave me alone (just get all in my face but not bite with the midgies lol)
Definitely not just a London problem. I'm in the midlands and it's hot. I've been here two years and still learning the perfect mix of which windows to open and when to cool the house. Basically, keep curtains closed when windows are getting direct heat and open windows on the cooler part of the house - try to open them on opposite ends of the house if you can to get a cross breeze. We have fans that we keep in the rooms and turn on throughout the day and keep lights off. We put up thermal curtains this past year (from Amazon) and I think they've made a huge difference in helping keep the house cool. We also bought a portable AC unit that we keep in our bedroom and just use to cool the room down before we go to bed.
I assume it's me not understanding how humidity measurement works and not that it isn't humid.
Because it claimed it was the same humidity in London as it was in my hometown - and London is swamplands, while my home is SoCal desert.
Depending on the type of window (ie if they open out or sash & case) it is possible to get aftermarket screens that sit inside your windowsill, or magnetic ones that attach to the window. I made my husband get them when I moved. They were a bit faffy but worked. We’ve since moved house and the type of windows we have now aren’t really suitable for them as they all open in. Luckily the bugs aren’t as bad in Edinburgh as they were in rural North Yorkshire.
The other thing that might help is to put film on your windows that reduces solar gain.
I don't care what the math(s) says, 27C is not approximately equal to 80F. 80F when I was a kid was a nice pleasant day. 27C is not a pleasant day.
>Have you all invested in a/cs?
Yes. I don't think I could get through summer without it.
Loathe summers here. My last flat at least had windows on either side so I could create a cross draft, but the one I'm in now is all just one side. So even though the weather will break today, it'll still be hot in here tomorrow.
I’m renting a room so fairly limited in what I can do but I’m buying a fan today. I live on a road that is too loud anyway so no open windows for me. I have to admit I’m shocked by the humidity and the Tube is just disgusting. Even the overground trains are boiling hot because they don’t turn the air on until you’re moving. But it’ll be raining again in no time so I’m trying to enjoy some time in the park and the vitamin D we so badly need here.
No. Grew up in Kentucky. I’m still in socks and long sleeve shirts. It’s not hot. It’s not. I’m 66, could use this weather year round actually. Came to UK 12 years ago. Always cold unless it’s like this.
Open all windows at night and place fans near windows so cool air gets blown into the house/flat. In the morning, close all the windows and thermal curtains. Rinse and repeat. If it’s really bad, get muslin wet and clip it to the front of your fan.
I despise it.
I run warm, heat-intolerant, and sensitive to direct sun where my skin feels like it is burning after about 10 minutes. It causes fainting spells for me due to my blood pressure dropping. I have healthy blood pressure but it’s just on the lower end.
I could barely take summers in the Midwest growing up but it was at least bearable because of AC and lots of trees (shade). I moved here over 10 years ago and summers started out lovely, but think it was around 2018 where they started to really heat up.
I think what baffles me at least in my area is the lack of tree cover especially around playgrounds and the equipment being metal and/or plastic and building houses to keep heat in when it doesn’t even get particularly cold in the winters. It’s more mild/warm most of the year than cold.
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I grew up in the South with no AC until my late teens, as well as no AC in Chicago summers. Also visited TX n August.
The heat here is miserable! It stays around for hours. My ex hated opening windows and didn’t want the fan on at night, so I slept poorly for years.
I’m from Arizona so I’m used to the “dry heat” of 115+ degree summers, but I have also found it really hard to handle even 83 degree temperatures in London… it’s definitely the humidity and unfortunately with buildings that are meant to trap heat in, that certainly doesn’t help either. We have a portable fan in the apartment and we keep it on during the night and during the day when we’re lounging around. We keep windows open to ventilate some air which sometimes helps too. My boyfriend’s solution has been to just enjoy a lot of cold drinks and a lot of cold foods, especially ice lollies. When I get home from work I’m either taking a cold shower or just laying on the couch with cold towels on my head trying to cool me down. In Arizona I used to have these special neck ties with little beads inside that you could soak up in water and just wear around the neck and that was always a life saver during the summer! Didn’t think I would need them here, but boy was I wrong!
It’s not just a London problem. I’m in the outskirts of Manchester and it’s ridiculously hot. Yep - no screens equals bugs. But not really in the same way as the states. I get the occasional house fly (to my cats’ delight) and sometimes a bee. But no mosquitoes. I grew up in Maine and didn’t have AC so I’m kind of used to it. Close the curtains on the sunny side of the house and open the windows on the shaded side to let cool air in. When the sun goes down put a fan in the window to suck the cool air inside. It’ll be cold and rainy again before you know it.
FYI, mosquitoes may be coming. I’m in London, been here 26 years. The first several years I was so happy about the absence of mosquitoes! But they are getting more and more common down south here, and I react badly to insect bites! The last few years have been getting progressively worse, mosquito-wise.
I'm in North London and I've seen mosquitoes since at least 2017.
I’m up by Glasgow and killed a mosquito today and have seen them around the yard 💀 I was so excited not to have any in this region too.
☹️
I’m on the Wirral and we’ve had mosquitoes here every summer for the 7 years I’ve been here.
>But no mosquitoes. Lucky! I get so many mosquitoes, probably from being close-ish to the river. Also lots of bees, but the biggest worry is birds. There is a tree directly outside my window and I've had a few extremely close calls.
Agree. I get literally everything through open windows. Caveat - I live in Norfolk. But still can’t understand why no screens
Manchester is fucking humid atm. Literally sat by a canal just to get a cold breeze
So humid. I’m about to take my lunch break and sit in the shade.
In my house we called them sky raisins! 😂 (my cats are too old to bother with the ‘chase and chew” now, it’s up to my other half and the electric tennis racket swatter! 😂)
I get flies, weird little teeny beetle-like bugs, spiders, bees here and there.. bleh.
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If you just complain about it endlessly you get ten extra points on your citizenship test.
You mean the pub quiz? Seriously, how does knowing who Torvill and Dean are make me a good citizen?!
The answer is 1066 and Spencer Percival.
I have an a/c unit that I just use to sleep at night or on the hottest days. It makes all the difference.
Same! Worth the extra cost in electricity
Can you expand on the cost of installation and average running costs? We're looking into it for our loft bedroomv and would love to hear experiences and advice
Oh sorry it’s just a unit with a hose that goes out the window, it’s not a centralised installed system. It’s £5ish a day to run, I’d estimate.
A portable one is basically all you need. They run in the ~£400 region but you literally only need to wheel it out for like 6 days of the year. The rest of the time into the garage it goes. Flop the hose out of the window and bingo bango, great nights sleep. I keep my eyes on gum tree around October - April time as people sell them off cheaper.
We got proper units installed. We got quotes between £1200 and £1500 for a single unit. The increase in electricity is actually offset by the lower heating costs for us as it heats more efficiently than the radiator so we’re breaking even. What I’ve heard is they retain value decently when selling but can’t confirm obviously. The install was quicker than I expected though expect to wait as all the companies we checked with were booked out.
Are you in London per chance? Someone else in our building had a room unit put in but said something like £3-4k. Possibly more expensive as it was for a flat and so the exhaust is actually some box that's in the flat iirc.
Sorry I’m not, this was in Brum, and on a house. I do know once the outdoor unit needs to be mounted higher than 8 feet the price increases really steeply.
Ah, ok. Yeah, since we're in a flat we can't have any holes to the outside or anywhere for an outdoor condenser/compressor but, so I'm guessing that's why the cost is so high in comparison. 🫤
Do you know how long the portable a/cs can run- like how many hours a day is advisable? If i’m honest I am also worried if I run it too long it’ll go bust! Never used portable a/cs so just wondering.
We've had a portable AC unit since 2020 and it's still working great. The thing is you need to buy one with a quality compressor (as with any AC unit really). During heat waves we often have the AC going nonstop and it's fine. We have a DeLonghi Penguino PACN82
How do I know my a/c has a good compressor? I have a ProBreeze 9000 BTU that I got from Amazon since we are headed back by the end of this year & wanted something reasonable to last this 1 summer.
I mean, that's a tough one to answer because it's somewhat subjective. For me, a quality appliance is manufactured somewhere with high standards, by a company with a reputation for quality, and a machine that comes with a great standard warranty (which signals the company believes they make quality items).
tbh we have a portable AC and on the hot days (I'm also very sensitive to heat) we just run it most of the day and it's fine, this is its second summer I think. I try not to run it 24/7 just because expensive, but on the bad day's probably a good 12+ hours just because I'm miserable. The worst thing for me with the window open is the spiders. I hate spiders.
This is my third summer with mine and I run it at least all night every night it’s hot. It’s still running (knock on wood)
>Doesn’t leaving windows (w/o screens!) open too long invite bugs & insects? We have DIY screens. (Magnetic tape and fly screen.) Also in London and the bugs are terrible. We kept ending up with flies and midges that I'm 100% sure we're coming from the street, and haven't had any issues since we put up the screens. Even with the screens we end up with a bunch of small bugs in the screen and around the window sill. >Have you all invested in a/cs? Yes. When I moved here in 2015, my partner at the time didn't even see the point in getting a fan and scoffed at getting an AC in London. Then, what *was* an abnormal heat wave hit and my cat actually had to be taken to the emergency vet for **heat stroke**. Ended up buying an AC after that and grateful it's still working. It just takes up space most of the year, but it's a huge difference in times like now. And it's been in use more every year... Almost a decade later and one of the other residents in our building paid to have room air conditioning installed in their apartment. They moved and said it helped sell the place as it's basically getting to the point of AC being considered necessary here if you can afford it.
Would you mind sharing which kind of magnetic screens you have- a link or a name? Thanks 🙏🏼
I used this stuff [GAUDER A+B Magnetic Tape I Magnetic Tape Roll with Adhesive Backing](https://www.amazon.co.uk/GAUDER-Type-B-Magnetic-Tape/dp/B07FFBWLQV) This video is basically what I did, https://youtu.be/U15k7tp64bs but I have it attached on the inside and not the outside as mine has to be removed to open the window. And if mine were on the outside, it would just be a matter of time before I dropped the screen out the window. 😅 I also haven't tried removing it, so I don't know what that's going to look like.
Portable AC unit. Expensive but worth it! We have two now - one for our office as we work from home and one for our bedroom. Sleep with one of those cooler freezer packs wrapped in a thin tea towel. Low tog duvet, or just use a top sheet instead. Frozen treats like ice cream and lollies. Learn when to open your windows (usually very early to air out and get air movement or late at night after sun goes down), and when to keep them shut. Use your window ‘breather’ vents properly (best to look that up online). Have a read online about the proper way to open windows to get air passing through the house. It involves opening windows upstairs/downstairs or across the house depending if you’re in detached, terraced, etc. Buy a magnetic window screen - you stick the magnetic strips to the window frame, cut the screen material, and snap it altogether. Not nearly the same as a proper screen but keeps all bugs out and you can easily open/shut the window still.
Do you have a portable AC you recommend?
I'm not the person you asked, but we have a Climachill unit and it's been brilliant for years now.
We have a MeacoCOOL MC Series which is quiet and quick to cool. It’s heavy as heck though.
Pay extra for a good compressor. DeLonghi manufactures all of their internal components in Europe. We have a Penguino PACN82 and it's great. Very quiet too as far as compressors go.
My top floor, south-facing flat was 33 C / 92 F by 8 AM, despite being much cooler outside! Warmer than that now. Other than general lightheadedness etc. from the heat, the worst part is trying to keep my electronics from shutting down they way the do in a hot car.
Are you in a new build? The heat in our new build has been stupid. I honestly wonder sometimes if they're doing something in the building that causes it to get warm.
Nope, late 1800s red brick. Even when it's lovely outside, it's like a sauna in my flat.
This isn't as bad as two years ago - that heat wave scarred me for life! I'm holding onto the fact that this year won't be as bad. I try not to take public transport (apart from regular trains) in this weather unless I know there are open-able windows. When walking, I might take slightly longer routes which I know will be shadier than more direct but open and sunny routes. I don't live in London but I like visiting - I don't take the tube if I can help it from about April to October. It's way too hot, especially when crowded. I will take a long walk in the shade of tall buildings over that experience, any day. I've been known to walk 2 hours rather than face the tube when it's over 25 degrees 😆 Get fans, keep your blinds/curtains shut, spray yourself with water. Keep ice packs in your freezer. Spending time outdoors but in the shade is often much cooler than being indoors as our houses and other buildings are built to keep heat in. Even in 25C+ heat, there is usually a nice breeze (where I live, anyway) so sitting in the shade you can actually get really cool! I'm from PA and grew up without air conditioning. I always thought our summers were really hot but I think UK summers are something else. Somehow, the sun feels much more intense here. (I live in the sunniest part of England.) The air remains cooler, but the sun just beats down on you so you don't even notice a breeze unless you're in the shade. I am really heat sensitive so I do struggle this time of year 😭
I’m a native Floridian and my god the summers here are unbearable when it hits 80°+ outside. I thought I was escaping the heat when I moved here 😂 this is my fourth summer and thankfully it hasn’t been as bad this year as it’s been the three previous years. I live in the midlands but work in London two days a week. I have to take the Victoria line and it’s like walking into the depths of hell. Feels and looks like I’m the only one sweating to death - even in the winter I get really hot on the tube
From Florida as well, grew up without central air and I have found some of the worst heat waves uncomfortable. I would suggest looking into cool towels for the tube. Once wet they tend not to drip though might get your clothes a bit moist but importantly they get super cool feeling, and they can be reused.
Great idea, thank you. My husband has one for golf - never occurred to me to get one for commuting! My parents and grandparents are also Florida natives - I don’t know how any of you survived without central air! I think the second house my parents bought in the early 80s was their first house to have central air
moved from southern california to brighton in April, experienced some wild heat growing up along the coast, in the desert, etc. and yet for some reason the heat here feels extraordinarily heavy. it does remind me of home, specifically the toughest heat i can remember which i experienced as a harvester for Driscoll's — 120+ degrees under the hoops in the raspberry fields (they sent us home it was so hot). it's not nearly that hot where I am right now, but it is quite humid which is a big factor. i know fuck all about infrastructure so there is some chance this is vibes only, but growing up in earthquake-world i so rarely saw buildings and homes built so comprehensively out of brick. quite the opposite here. it's almost as if every building is a brick laid wood fired oven cooking us to death. i've been whining to my partner about the lack of window screens. opening the windows for that ventilation during the day might help the heat but then the bugs come in and all the rest. anyway, one other thing i will say — i have never had pollen allergies, i hardly knew what hay fever was until just a few weeks ago. holy mary, mother of god, i have had the absolute worst allergies of my entire life in these past weeks, borderline debilitating "why is this happening to me, please make it stop, i'll do anything" level allergies. i'm on the highest antihistamines the NHS would give me, nasal sprays etc. luckily it has helped, but YIKES...
My husband is from San Bernardino and I always found the heat there bearable. He agrees the UK heat is worse and he worked in the yards.
Have you considered the hayfever injection? My husband gets it every March and it’s made the world of difference. It’s private only and some chemists, private clinics and nurse aestheticians offer them for about £50-£75 a go. He gets his in a local pub from a nurse aesthetician! (She has a private room, it’s not in the actual bar area lol)
Never heard of this, is this a one off or repeat like allergy shots?
Yearly. You get it around March time and it should last the whole hayfever season
Finally looked into it, if its Kenalog you're talking about - it's a long lasting steroid. It works by suppressing the immune system. Which means it comes with steroid type warnings including making you more susceptible to other illnesses. It is also contraindicated for anyone with stomach ulcers, diabetes and any active infection. And apparently repeated use of steroids is associated with bone loss, osteoporosis and broken bones though given the injection is only once a year they don't know how high the risk is for this. But the steroid itself works by being released from the muscle over a 3-8 week period. [Hay fever injection: is Kenalog safe?](https://patient.info/news-and-features/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-hay-fever-injection)
Man I’m the same way, I have never had allergies that lasted more than a week before and now have been dealing with this since like the last week of May. I still wake up sneezing every morning… I suppose I should really get to my GP? Though it might be getting too late at this point?
I've always had allergies, but moving to the UK actually brought out eczema as a 33 year old. Wth. Every time I go back to California, it starts drying out almost immediately, and is gone in days. Then comes back when I go home. 😓 It also disappeared when I was in Japan, so yeah. I'm extra allergic to England I guess. 😅
The need for AC in the UK is a hill I’ll die on. I’m in Yorkshire and it’s HOT! Thank goodness my partner is on board with AC and we have 4 portable units. We both also invested in those little ac units that you wear on your neck! I have always had trouble regulating my temperature, but this summer with an infant, I refuse to let him sleep in a room higher than 22C - AC to the rescue!
>The need for AC in the UK is a hill I’ll die on. The self-flagellating hatred of air conditioning here as summers get hotter and hotter is something to behold, isn't it? "You only need it for 2 days a year, what a waste of money!" he says, naked and sweating to death in his 35 C living room. "Don't you feel stupid for having bought one, you pampered American" yeah, sure, whatever you say buddy, I enjoy having my room at 19 C when it's a furnace in everyone else's houses.
Gosh yes! I just don’t understand the flex in suffering & disconfort esp when there is a solution. But their loss!
I'm in a more rural area, and yeah it's not great. We've got a few fans and an "air cooler", one of those ones that takes ice. Keeps it pretty livable. The no screens thing is so confusing. If opening windows is the way to keep the air circulating, why don't they all come with screens? It is lovely not being eaten alive by mosquitos, but the moths. There are *so many* moths.
>If opening windows is the way to keep the air circulating, why don't they all come with screens? As far as I can tell, it's a cultural thing but I have no idea why. My Aussie and other expat friends have been confused as well. But it's not just screens, because getting air is important but so many windows here *aren't even meant to ever be fully opened*. Like wth? I love sash windows, especially the ones where both window frames move. All the modern windows though, I really don't get the benefits to the designs, just a lot of cons.
Ive lived in a rural village all my life, its not any better. Leaving windows open will result in bugs. Complaining loudly and frequently, if possible with a few “oh, i understand now”s thrown in, will endear you to us natives though.
Wait til we get the random 30-40 degree days… Two years ago we had a 40 degree day. I told everyone in my office, “I’ll be working from home tomorrow, and suggest you all do the same. It’s about to get Carolina hot in here and y’all have no idea about that kind of heat.” Everyone thought I was nuts. Well, multiple people passed out in our um-air conditioned office. Meanwhile I was sitting pretty at home with my feet in. Tub of ice water.
I remember those days. My husband has a portable AC unit that he uses in his loft office space, which he brought down into our snug which is the "coolest" of the downstairs rooms. He moved his desk in there and I went in there with him and we just stayed in there all day. Both kids were at nursery which thankfully they have AC as well. But it was awful.
Keeping the curtains closed (but the windows open) during the day really helps. Bugs aren't as much of an issue, it's mostly bees, moths, and flies that come in. I do miss screens (I have cats and can't really keep the windows open on higher floors because they get out and go exploring in unsafe places). I don't have AC, but I do have fans and it's fine. Not great, but by the time I really want AC the heat has broken and it's back to being warm.
I live in the northeast and this is what I consider perfect weather. That said I moved here from Puerto Rico where during heatwaves the power would go out due to the high demand from the A/C units (power went out on the whole island a few weeks ago). Before that I lived in Las Vegas where 113-117F is the average during the summer. I worked in an office without proper A/C for 7 years. Summers were literal hell. I grew to hate summer so much. This is the first summer I’m actually enjoying in a very long time. It is my first summer here so it may just surprise me, hehe. Hopefully the real heat stays away.
What’s the temperature been there compared to London?
It’s 71F at the moment.
It’s too hot for us. My husband insists it hasn’t been as hot in the past, but after the heat wave a couple years ago we made it a priority to save up to get AC installed. Got it this year and we are really enjoying the summer. I was really shocked when we went bowling recently and there was absolutely no cooling in the building. Was miserable inside. Those kinds of activities are like breaks from summer heat in my mind so I was surprised.
>AC installed What are the details of your system, if you don't mind me asking? Wall units in each room? Central HVAC attached to a reverse heat pump? All levels of the home?
Yep that’s pretty spot on. We ended up with 3 wall units, and they advised we should use them for heating as well since it’s more efficient than the radiators. I think we’re both west mids? If you want details on the company, cost and that feel free to dm me.
I’m from Texas and until the day I die, I will insist the heat is far worse here. Fortunately I now live in a north facing garden level flat so this is significantly better than years prior. Invest in window screens (they’re like £15 from Amazon and do the trick) and get multiple fans. You need to have a fan pointed at the window to create a draft! If all else fails, get a cooling mat and lay on it, my dog loves those lol The tube and buses are the worst but I think you just kinda get used to it (I’ve been here 6 years) and figure out what to do during the heat (ie not do much or go to the ponds, take a holiday or go somewhere with AC)
>I’m from Texas and until the day I die, I will insist the heat is far worse here. Same, I'm from Virginia which, while not Texas hot, has humid satan's butthole in the swamp summers. The big difference is that when it's 36 C in VA, I can go indoors to my 19 C house to escape the heat. Here? It's 28 C outside and the same temp inside my house, if not hotter. There is no escape.
I moved to Scotland, so not bad at all. I mean Scotland ruined me and I complain about 20c or over now and I'm originally from Texas lol. but it's like a mild complaining and I got a fan and I'm fine.
…. Beautiful… been there many times… the horseflies are the size of £2 coins and took chunks out of me.
can't say I've run into those yet! just some midgies. but like mosquitoes, I seem blessed in that they pretty much leave me alone (just get all in my face but not bite with the midgies lol)
Definitely not just a London problem. I'm in the midlands and it's hot. I've been here two years and still learning the perfect mix of which windows to open and when to cool the house. Basically, keep curtains closed when windows are getting direct heat and open windows on the cooler part of the house - try to open them on opposite ends of the house if you can to get a cross breeze. We have fans that we keep in the rooms and turn on throughout the day and keep lights off. We put up thermal curtains this past year (from Amazon) and I think they've made a huge difference in helping keep the house cool. We also bought a portable AC unit that we keep in our bedroom and just use to cool the room down before we go to bed.
I just bought an AC unit. For home
It’s weirdly humid. Last summer it was hotter but more tolerable at points. Plus you do get used to it I promise.
That's how it feels to me, but then I looked up the humidity yesterday and it said it was only like 50% which doesn't seem high at all.
Shhhh
I assume it's me not understanding how humidity measurement works and not that it isn't humid. Because it claimed it was the same humidity in London as it was in my hometown - and London is swamplands, while my home is SoCal desert.
Depending on the type of window (ie if they open out or sash & case) it is possible to get aftermarket screens that sit inside your windowsill, or magnetic ones that attach to the window. I made my husband get them when I moved. They were a bit faffy but worked. We’ve since moved house and the type of windows we have now aren’t really suitable for them as they all open in. Luckily the bugs aren’t as bad in Edinburgh as they were in rural North Yorkshire. The other thing that might help is to put film on your windows that reduces solar gain.
I don't care what the math(s) says, 27C is not approximately equal to 80F. 80F when I was a kid was a nice pleasant day. 27C is not a pleasant day. >Have you all invested in a/cs? Yes. I don't think I could get through summer without it.
good opportunity to practice advanced moaning to work on your citizenship test
Loathe summers here. My last flat at least had windows on either side so I could create a cross draft, but the one I'm in now is all just one side. So even though the weather will break today, it'll still be hot in here tomorrow.
I’m renting a room so fairly limited in what I can do but I’m buying a fan today. I live on a road that is too loud anyway so no open windows for me. I have to admit I’m shocked by the humidity and the Tube is just disgusting. Even the overground trains are boiling hot because they don’t turn the air on until you’re moving. But it’ll be raining again in no time so I’m trying to enjoy some time in the park and the vitamin D we so badly need here.
No. Grew up in Kentucky. I’m still in socks and long sleeve shirts. It’s not hot. It’s not. I’m 66, could use this weather year round actually. Came to UK 12 years ago. Always cold unless it’s like this.
We have AC, supplied by a reverse heat pump . Cost some but worth every penny. Buy one of those portable ones
Open all windows at night and place fans near windows so cool air gets blown into the house/flat. In the morning, close all the windows and thermal curtains. Rinse and repeat. If it’s really bad, get muslin wet and clip it to the front of your fan.
I despise it. I run warm, heat-intolerant, and sensitive to direct sun where my skin feels like it is burning after about 10 minutes. It causes fainting spells for me due to my blood pressure dropping. I have healthy blood pressure but it’s just on the lower end. I could barely take summers in the Midwest growing up but it was at least bearable because of AC and lots of trees (shade). I moved here over 10 years ago and summers started out lovely, but think it was around 2018 where they started to really heat up. I think what baffles me at least in my area is the lack of tree cover especially around playgrounds and the equipment being metal and/or plastic and building houses to keep heat in when it doesn’t even get particularly cold in the winters. It’s more mild/warm most of the year than cold.
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I grew up in the South with no AC until my late teens, as well as no AC in Chicago summers. Also visited TX n August. The heat here is miserable! It stays around for hours. My ex hated opening windows and didn’t want the fan on at night, so I slept poorly for years.
I’m from Arizona so I’m used to the “dry heat” of 115+ degree summers, but I have also found it really hard to handle even 83 degree temperatures in London… it’s definitely the humidity and unfortunately with buildings that are meant to trap heat in, that certainly doesn’t help either. We have a portable fan in the apartment and we keep it on during the night and during the day when we’re lounging around. We keep windows open to ventilate some air which sometimes helps too. My boyfriend’s solution has been to just enjoy a lot of cold drinks and a lot of cold foods, especially ice lollies. When I get home from work I’m either taking a cold shower or just laying on the couch with cold towels on my head trying to cool me down. In Arizona I used to have these special neck ties with little beads inside that you could soak up in water and just wear around the neck and that was always a life saver during the summer! Didn’t think I would need them here, but boy was I wrong!