When a room that has no windows becomes hot, it needs to be cooled down so that it will remain useful. Windows provide a place to use a window AC unit or to have a breeze blow through, and these options are not available without them.
You may have space that is not usable in the hot summer months, but if you find a way to cool it, this could change. Fortunately, there are ways to cool a room with no windows. Some ideas include cutting into walls or the ceiling, and others are simple tricks to reduce the heat.
Read on to learn how.
1 – Install a Ceiling Fan
One way to circulate the air in the room is by installing a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan moves the air around, which cools the people who are inside the room.
When you are in a hot room, there is a stagnant layer of heat around your body, and the ceiling fan jostles that stagnant layer of air, which allows your body to lose heat and feel cooler.
If your purpose in cooling this room is to make it more comfortable for people while they are in it, a ceiling fan will do the job. It is a great way to circulate the air, and it is fairly easy to install.
2 – Install a Through-the-Wall Air Conditioner
This kind of air conditioner works the same way as a window unit, but it vents through the wall instead of through the window. It is important to note that the wall must lead to the outside of the building because it has to be vented correctly.
These units are more energy efficient than central air conditioners, and the room will stay cooler without any windows. In fact, it will take less energy to cool a windowless room than it would one with windows.
They are installed directly in the wall, and their design prevents drafts. The unit will be secured, and it is a great solution to cooling a windowless room.
3 – Set up a Portable Evaporative Cooler (Swamp Cooler)
Portable evaporative coolers or swamp coolers are energy efficient, and they can deliver cool air to a room. This works well in dry climates, and it is less expensive and more energy efficient.
It works by taking the warm air in and running it through wet cooler pads. Then it blows cooler air through a vent. You can add water or ice to this device, and it changes it into a cool air mist.
You can create a homemade version of this machine by using a box fan and ice. If you fill a bowl with ice and put it in front of the fan, the fan will push the coldness from the ice around the room to make it cool.
This is a simple way to cool a room without any windows.
4 – Use Two Fans to Circulate and Remove Hot Air
It’s a known fact that hot air rises. The problem is that a windowless room can have very still air.
If you blow one fan toward the ceiling and the other toward the doorway, they will circulate the hot air on the ceiling and blow it out of the door. This can help to cool the room.
In addition, free standing fans or box fans will have the same impact on people as a ceiling fan. The air circulation will move the stagnant air around and allow the body to release heat, which has a cooling effect.
5 – Turn Off Appliances and Lights
Most items that use energy give off heat. The more energy a device uses, the more heat it gives off. If you have appliances or lights in the windowless room, be sure to turn them off when they are not in use.
It might be easy to leave these items on, but it will make your room very hot. Make it a habit to turn off everything in the room when you leave, and leave the items off unless you are using them.
6 – Close the Doors
When you close doors, you isolate spaces. If you have a windowless room, it will stay cooler if the door is closed and the light is off.
When you leave the door open, light from the outside room will actually make its way in and make the room warmer. Keep the door closed until you want to enter the room.
7 – Extend Your Existing HVAC System
If you have central air conditioning, it may not be too complicated to add your windowless room to the system. It requires ducts and vents, but if the house is already set up, it may be pretty easy to do.
If you are able to extend your existing HVAC system, you will have no trouble cooling your room.
8 – Install a Ductless Air Conditioner
A ductless air conditioning unit gives you all of the convenience and cooling of central air, but there are no ducts. You do need to install an outdoor piece and an indoor piece that are connected by refrigerant tubing and electrical wiring.
You can mount the indoor unit on the wall, but you will need to go through the wall to the outdoors to connect it to the outdoor unit.
9 – Buy a Portable Air Conditioner
This option may not be the most effective because the portable air conditioner still needs to be vented to the outdoors. It needs a place to send the hot air.
If the windowless room has a wall that goes to the outside, you can install the hose through it to the outside, and your portable AC will work well. Otherwise, you will need to run a hose through another room.
10 – Lower Your Body Temperature
There are actually ways that you can lower your body temperature, which will help to cool a room without windows. You can drink cool drinks with ice and wear light colored clothing that will reflect heat.
In addition, taking a shower will help to lower your body temperature and make it feel cooler in the room.
11 – Cover Your Furniture with Clean Sheets
If this room is an office or a sitting room, cover your couch or chairs with clean cotton sheets. If you keep the sheets stored in a cool closet, they will be cool and help to make the room feel cooler.
If this room is a bedroom, be sure to make your bed every day, and do not use flannel or fleece. You need cool crisp cotton sheets, and the room will feel cooler.
12 – Turn Your Bathroom Fan on
If your windowless room adjoins a bathroom, you can turn on the bathroom fan and open the door. The bathroom fan pulls air out of the room, and this will help to pull the hot air away.
Your room will actually cool down, and the air will circulate.
13 – Plant Bushes on the Outside of the Home
You can plant bushes along the wall directly outside of this room. It will prevent the sun from penetrating the walls of the house, and it helps to insulate the home from heat.
With bushes in the way of the sun’s rays, your exterior won’t absorb as much heat, which will keep the inside cooler.
Is it Possible to Cool a Room Without Windows?
It is definitely possible to cool a windowless room, and it will depend on other factors. If you do not have air conditioning installed, there are still a few tricks you can try.
In some ways, a room without windows is beneficial because it will not have the rays of the sun blaring into the room. The sun’s rays can heat up a room, even through a window, so this can help to keep it cooler than another room in the house.
You can install one of many different types of air conditioning system, depending on your budget and how much work you want to do. If the rest of your house has an HVAC, you might consider having the windowless room connected to it.
Otherwise, there are ductless and portable AC options that you can employ.
Fans can be very useful in a number of different ways. The key to cooling the room is to circulate the air and get rid of the hot air near the ceiling. You can strategically use fans to pull the air down and expel it from the room.
You can also make sure that you are comfortable by drinking ice cold drinks and taking a shower. Showering in a hot shower will make the air temperature feel cooler once you finish, and showering in a cold shower will lower your body temperature so that you will welcome the warm air.
You need to make sure that you keep the appliances shut off unless they are in use. They will give off more heat, which will only make the room warmer. In addition, lights tend to emit heat. You can consider LED lighting as it gives off less heat than other types.
Turn the lights off when you don’t need them, and keep the doors closed. If the room is dark and closed up during the day, it will feel cool when you open the door. Any of these methods will help to cool your windowless room.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys, and I’m so excited to start this adventure with them! In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.