Your home is supposed to be your safe space. The one place where you’ll have protection from everything.
Whether it be a storm or the scorching heat of the summer, have you ever noticed your apartment being hotter inside than outside? Isn’t it supposed to be the opposite?
This article will help you find out why your apartment is hotter than the outside!
Why Is My Apartment Hotter Than Outside?
Poor ventilation is one of the reasons your apartment is hotter inside than outside. Poor air circulation inside your house can result in hot air being trapped inside your house. The hot air can build up inside, making your apartment feel hotter than outside.
Heat can get trapped in closed spaces like your apartment without proper ventilation. Your breath, electronics, the stove, and of course, the heat from the sun can all cause your apartment to heat up significantly.
It’s not only the sun that heats up your house. You yourself are a producer of greenhouse gases. Apart from that, your stove and other heating products produce a lot of heat.
\If all that heat can’t find a way out, it’ll just end up building up inside your apartment and heat it up.
What Causes Your Apartment To Heat Up More Inside Than Outside?
Poor ventilation is the main cause of your apartment heating up. But more things can make your house heat up more than the outside.
So, here are the things that cause your apartment to heat up more than outside:
1. Poor Ventilation
As we’ve discussed, poor ventilation is the main culprit for your apartment being hot inside. All the hot air generated by home appliances, house positioning, etc., constantly look for a way out of your house. And good ventilation allows for that.
So, if, for any reason, the ventilation in your house isn’t as good, it can lead to your apartment heating up more than the outside.
2. Your Apartment Experiences A lot Of Sunlight
If your apartment is south-facing, it’s very much likely that it experiences a lot of Sunlight. And Sunlight produces a lot of heat that the walls, floors, and furniture in your home can absorb.
The heat then starts to radiate and results in the apartment becoming hotter.
3. Your Apartment Interior Has A Darker Color Palette
Darker colors absorb more heat than lighter colors. Colors such as white are the best at keeping your house cool. While if you have darker colors like black or dark purple, you’ll experience much more heat in the house than outside.
4. No Roof Insulation
While you have a roof on top of your head, giving you shade from the sun’s rays, your roof doesn’t have that. The roof of your apartment building is one place that experiences the sun’s rays directly.
If your apartment is on the top floor or the upper part of the building, you need to ensure your roof has the proper insulation. If not, the roof will push all the heat down the building.
And being in the upper part of the building, your home will experience the most heat.
This is also known as the stack effect. The heat loves to travel, but it leaves everything to heat up while it travels! In this case, your apartment will experience the most heat.
5. Heat Generating Appliances
Home appliances are great; they help us finish our chores much quicker. But, some of these appliances can generate a lot of heat without proper ventilation.
6. Direct sunlight
If your apartment receives a lot of direct sunlight, it can heat up the space, making it feel warmer than the outside temperature.
Appliances That Generate Heat in Your Apartment
1. The Oven
Your oven generates heat to warm up your food. And sometimes, heating appliances, such as your oven, can leak heat through their doors.
If your oven does that and you don’t have good ventilation, the heat from your oven can build up.
2. Dishwasher
Dishwashers generate heat to clean your dishes. The heat can be up to 130-150F. And if the ventilation in your apartment isn’t good, the heat will fail to find a way out. And, in return, it would make your home hotter.
3. Washing Machine
Washing machines also use heat to wash your laundry. And again, the heat uses exit vents to make their way out of your home. If, for any reason, the vents stop working or get blocked, your home will get much hotter than outside.
4. Dryer
The amount of heat dryers produce to dry out your clothes can easily leak out. If your house doesn’t have good ventilation, the heat can build up and cause the house to heat up.
5. Stove
One of the things that generate the most heat in your apartment is the stove.
You need it to cook your meals, but if you don’t have good ventilation in your house, the heat can build up and cause the house to heat up significantly more than the outside.
Why Is My House Hotter Inside Than Outside During Nighttime?
You might think when the sun goes down, your apartment gets cooler. But unfortunately, there are a few things that can cause your apartment to be hot even during the night!
So, let’s look at why your house is hotter inside than outside during nighttime:
1. South Facing Rooms
If your apartment rooms are south-facing, not only will your apartment get hot during the day, but it will feel hot even during the night. This is because the rooms retain the absorbed heat throughout the night.
2. Poor Ventilation
Poor ventilation can cause your apartment to feel hotter not only during the day but also during the night. Besides Sunlight, a few other things can cause your apartment to heat up. And poor ventilation is the biggest culprit.
3. Running Appliances
Some home appliances, such as your washer, dryer, oven, etc., run both night and day. So, if your apartment feels particularly hot at night, it might be because you use appliances at night.
4. Running Stove
Your stove can generate a lot of heat. And if you don’t have good ventilation in your apartment, the heat can build up and make your apartment a lot hotter. This can happen during the night, too, since many people prefer cooking at night.
What To Do If My Apartment Is Hotter Inside Than Outside?
If your apartment is hotter than outside, you must take immediate action. For the betterment of your health and safety, there are some things you can do that can help you cool down your apartment.
So, here is what to do if your apartment is hotter inside than outside:
1. Use A Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers are made to dehumidify your apartment. Dehumidifiers suck in most of the humidity from the air inside your house.
Purifying it and making your apartment cooler overall. If your apartment feels hotter than outside, it may be because of all the built-up humidity.
Simply place a dehumidifier in the hotter parts of your apartment, and you’ll immediately notice the difference. Not only will the rooms cool down, but your whole apartment will also show a massive improvement in temperature.
Especially if you live in an area where it’s mostly very humid, a dehumidifier can be a lifesaver. Not only will it rid you of most of the heat inside your home, but it will also benefit you by making your apartment cooler.
2. Use An Air Conditioner
If you haven’t already, maybe you should consider investing in an air conditioner. Air conditioners are made to cool down your house while venting out the warm air that it absorbs.
Just make sure the vents of your air conditioner are working properly, and you’ll notice an immediate improvement. Not only will the air conditioner cool your home, but it will also help remove a lot of the heat from it.
3. Instal Blinds For South Facing Windows
If your apartment is south-facing and has rooms that experience direct Sunlight, you should install blinds for those windows.
The Sunlight makes its way through the windows and heats up the rooms during the day, and the heat remains even at night.
Installing blinds for those windows can help keep your apartment a lot cooler. It’s a small step, but it makes a big difference.
4. Use Low Energy Lights
Some lights that use higher energy will generate more heat. If your house is usually quite warm, you might want to use low-energy lights.
Not only that, when not in use, consider keeping the lights turned off. Since lights, in general, generate heat. Another option for you can be to use LED lights as they don’t generate as much heat as bulbs or tube lights.
5. Keep Your Windows Open
Keeping most of your windows shut will trap the warm air inside. This will cause your apartment to heat up. So, keeping as many windows open as possible ensures proper airflow.
6. Install Exhaust Fans
Parts of your apartment, such as the kitchen, the bathroom, or other enclosed rooms, generate a lot of heat.
In particular, you’ll notice these rooms being hotter than the rest of the house. And by installing exhaust fans, you can help these rooms stay cooler.
Exhaust fans help the warm air from these rooms escape. Resulting in a much more temperature-balanced room.
7. Use Lighter Colors For Your Walls
Darker colors will result in your home being hotter. We don’t have to go into the science of it all. But let’s just say colors like white do a better job at filtering or blocking sun rays than colors like black.
So if your room has a darker color, the heat from the sun’s rays gets trapped inside.
To tackle this problem, try applying a lighter shade of color. Anyway, lighter shades usually look way better on your walls!
8. Insulate
Insulating is very important for temperature management. You wouldn’t want your apartment to experience either too much heat or too much cold. And having proper insulation helps you prevent both.
Especially if your apartment is in the upper part of the building, it’s important to have proper insulation to prevent heat from traveling into your home.
9. Have Proper Ventilation
Proper ventilation is the most important thing to keep the heat out of your home. Remember, your house needs proper airflow for the hot air to exit. If not, the heat would increase quite a bit.
Not only will the air from outside gets trapped, but also the hot air you’re generating. So, make sure you have proper ventilation!
Why Is My Apartment Hot Inside During Winter?
Even though it’s winter, your house is hot inside instead of cool. The reason for this is simply poor ventilation and insulation. No matter how cold it is outside, if your house doesn’t have good air circulation, it will feel warmer inside.
Once warm air enters your house, it needs an exit to get out. And not just warm air from the outside, but many other things, such as your breath, appliances, fireplace, etc., can heat up your apartment.
This applies to winter as well. Yes, hot air might not make it into your house as much. But the hot air you generate can still heat up your house quite a bit.
Learn more ways to cool down your apartment If you don’t have an AC from the video below:
Why Does My Apartment Feel Hot Inside Than Outside With The AC On?
Your air conditioner is supposed to save you from all the heat in your house. But if you have noticed your apartment feeling hotter than outside, even with the AC on, there might be a problem.
So, here is why your apartment feels hotter inside than outside with the AC on:
1. Air Leaks Out Of The Rooms
To keep your apartment rooms feeling cold using an AC, you must ensure the room is properly air locked. With ACs, you have to ensure the air doesn’t get out of your house easily, hence why windows and doors need to be shut.
But, if the air keeps leaking out, it won’t be able to make the room cooler. Also, while the leaks can escape the cold air, the warm air inside the room won’t go anywhere. And the AC will start working extra hard to make the room cooler, which can damage the AC.
2. Leaking Air Ducts
Your AC uses its air ducts to bring cold air into your apartment. But, the rooms won’t cool down if the air ducts are leaked. This will result in the room getting much warmer than the outside since the rooms are usually confined while using AC.
3. The Vents Are Closed
The exit vents of an air conditioner help the warm air that your AC absorbs exit out of your house. Your AC can’t make the room cooler without absorbing all the warm air from the room.
But, if the vents are closed or clogged, the air will return to your apartment.
Firstly, your AC will fail to cool down the room. And secondly, your room will continue to get warmer.
4. High Humidity Inside The Apartment
The last thing that can cause your house to feel hotter than outside, even with the AC on, is high humidity. If the indoor humidity is far too high for your AC to deal with, it wouldn’t be able to work correctly.
Your AC will start working extra hard, and it will just cause the room to get warmer. In that case, you might want to invest in a dehumidifier. You can get a pretty good dehumidifier for just around 200$.
What’s The Average Temperature Difference Inside And Outside Of An Apartment?
The average room temperature is about 68-70 degrees F. And usually, the temperature outside is about 20 degrees more than inside of your house.
That is, of course, if your house is adequately ventilated. But, the temperature can vary if your house lacks good ventilation and is mostly warm.
However, it’s essential to ensure the temperature inside the house isn’t higher than the outside. That’s incredibly unhealthy and dangerous.
How Hot Is Too Hot Inside An Apartment?
A temperature over 78 degrees F is usually too hot for an apartment. For your health and comfort, you should always ensure the temperature inside your apartment doesn’t go up more than 72 degrees.
Your apartment being hotter than 78 degrees is fatal. As it would cause you not only discomfort but also health problems such as:
- Heat Stroke
- Heart Attack
- Dehydration
- Rashes On Skin
- Sickness
Why Is My Apartment 20 Degrees Hotter Than Outside?
If your apartment is 20 degrees hotter than outside, it’s probably because of insufficient ventilation and insulation. No matter what, your house should never be 20 degrees hotter than the outside. That’s not only very unhealthy, but it’s also hazardous.
So, for your safety and health, try to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Ensure better ventilation and insulation for your apartment.
How To Properly Ventilate My Apartment?
One of the core reasons for your house to feel hotter than outside is improper ventilation. Ventilation is crucial. Not just for heat but to keep the air inside your home healthy.
But, without good ventilation, you may experience a lot of discomforts, especially in a hotter home.
So, here is how to properly ventilate your apartment:
1. Keep Windows Open
It’s evident if you have your windows closed, the air will be trapped inside. So, open as many as you can to ensure proper airflow.
2. Use A Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers are great for removing the humidity from your house. And using one in your apartment would help you maintain proper ventilation.
3. Use Exhaust Fans
Exhaust fans do a lot for your bathroom and kitchen. In these places, in particular, ventilation is very important. As for your kitchen, all that heat from the stove can raise the temperature in your house quite a lot. And so that heat needs to get out of your house.
And for your bathroom, the enclosed space can build up a lot of heat that you should filter out. An exhaust fan can help you do that. The exhaust fans vent out all the heat outside, making your bathroom’s air cooler.
4. Use Fans To Filter Out Air
One very fun trick you can try is to use fans in front of your windows to filter the warm air from your house. Face the fan at the window and turn it on; this would make the fan blow out all the hot air from your house out in the open.
5. Make Sure The Appliance Vents Are Working Properly
Sometimes, AC vents or other appliance vents get clogged. And this can lead the house to heat up quite a bit. So, to ensure good ventilation in your house, ensure all the appliances use the exit vents properly.
Is It Dangerous If My House Is Hotter Inside Than Outside?
Yes, it’s very dangerous for your health if your house is hotter inside than outside. Discomfort is only the start, but you need to be careful of the health risks that come after. Heat can be dangerous, and exposure to it for too long can be fatal.
So, here are some of the health risks you might face if your house is hotter inside than outside:
- Dehydration
- Headaches
- Constant sweating
- Heat Stroke
- Heart Attack
- Dehydration
- Rashes On Skin
- Sickness
Conclusion
So why is your apartment hotter inside than outside? Well, it’s mainly because of poor ventilation. Don’t panic, and just ensure proper ventilation and insulation.
Make sure you take action as soon as possible because heat can bring a lot of health risks! Until then, stay safe, and thank you for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why Is My Room Hot Even Though It’s Cold Outside?
Ans: Because your room doesn’t have good airflow.
Q. Why Is It So Hot Inside The House?
Ans: The reason your house is so hot can be insufficient ventilation and insulation.
Q. Why Is My House So Hot When It’s Cool Outside?
Ans: Lack of ventilation for the hot air generated inside your home can make your house hot even if it’s cold outside.
Q. What Temperature Is Too Hot For An Apartment?
Ans: 78 Degrees F and over is too hot for an apartment.
Q. How Do You Reduce Heat In A Room?
Ans: You can reduce heat in a room by ensuring proper ventilation.
Rahik has experience writing professional blogs, particularly about home appliances. As an undergraduate tutor, Rahik taught undergraduate students academic writing before becoming a professional writer.
