Good point. Employment the main prob I suppose. We go there a lot for hols (cycle touring). People with holiday homes often seem pinned down whereas we can go to any part of France. Best thing is to know people with 2nd homes and go and visit them, rather than having ones own.
cheers
Jacob
Or you could shell a bit out and make your windows oopen inwards and fix slatted shutters on the outside then you'll have your own bliss.
I wonder how many deaths of French people that saved during last year's torrid conditions ...
We replace with these when a window gets broken. No problems with them at all. (Wooden frames about 20 years old.) An added advantage is when getting telesales calls from DG companies, the determined ones who ask you whether you have replacement windows quickly shut up and go away when you tell them you have fitted sealed units to existing sound windows as they realise you are not going to fall for their speil.
Just spotted this in the grauniad
cheers
Jacob
Scientists' survival tip: go with the flow
Tim Radford, science editor Thursday August 7, 2003 The Guardian
British scientists have just issued a hot tip for survival when the fan has broken down and the thermometer is up. It saves energy and exploits everyday household technology.
Just open a window, says Gary Hunt, who leads research at Imperial College London into the fluid mechanics of natural ventilation. It helps to have a sash window in the right place and at the right height.
"Many of us have forgotten how to correctly use the sash windows so carefully installed by the Edwardians and Victorians to maximise airflow," he said. "If used correctly it is possible to significantly improve comfort in the office or at home without using air conditioning units that place high demands on energy and increase carbon dioxide emissions."
He used a small laboratory model to simulate the average home as a hothouse and keep track of cool airflow through rooms and buildings. It is best to have your sash window open equally top and bottom. That way cooler air flows into the room through the lower opening and flushes the warm air out through the top.
If the windows are too small, or badly placed, however, hot air is trapped at ceiling level and extends down to make the inhabitants unpleasantly hot and muggy.
"Our research shows a good strategy is to leave sash windows in the mid-position overnight - providing it is safe to do so," he says.
"The cool external air flushes the warm air of of the room and also cools the walls, floor and ceiling. The cool walls absorb the heat the following day and prevent the internal from temperatures rising as high."
Also just noticed this below from Simon Gardner - brilliant, just what I've been saying all along. Must remember to sort long threads by date or you can miss interesting bits. Also must take out sub to New Statesman - used to years ago but lost the habit..
cheers
Jacob
This is completely pointless, however, when the external air is not cool - as it wasn't last August, or the August before that or the August before that.
The external air will be cool relative to the internal air so there would be some benefit. If not it would make sense to sleep with all the windows closed during a heat wave.
cheers
Jacob
Not in my house it won't - and there wouldn't.
It certainly does - as long as the lovely, lovely aircon is functioning properly.
Another afterthought - if Simon doesn't think opening windows has any benefit in hot weather does this mean that he has spent the last 3 very hot Augusts with windows closed? If so he would have been extremely uncomfortable. This could account for his enthusiasm for air conditioning, which most of us can do without, having discovered the benefits of opening windows in hot weather. Conversely I wonder if he opens all his windows in winter and turns up the central heating?
cheers
Jacob
Yup. I've got aircon. The inside of the house never goes above 21.
No. I've got aircon. I've been exceedingly comfortable, thanks, as long as I don't go outside.
You are an idiot.
It doesn't work in August. It only works earlier in the year and later. It doesn't work in August on account of that big yellow thing in the sky and the fact that daytime temps are over 31 and night time temps over 24.
Why do you think this is "conversely". Its just as stupid as opening them in August. In winter it would be too cold and in August too hot.
Why is this concept too hard for you to understand?
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