Staying cool when you can’t open the windows

Well-glazed modern windows do a good job of keeping aircraft noise out. The trouble comes on warm nights, when a closed room heats up and the only way to cool it is to let in the outside air, along with the sound of early arrivals and late departures.

Fans just move warm air around. Air conditioning lets you keep the room sealed and still bring the temperature down, so you get both quiet and cool.

A split system only needs a hole about the width of a drainpipe through the wall. The pipes pass through it and the gap is sealed, so the room stays airtight. Nothing has to open, unlike a portable unit that needs a window ajar for its exhaust hose.

Sealed room

No open window, no hose, no gap for sound to get in.

Night modes

Many models dim their lights and slow the fan for sleeping.

Drier air

Cooling also pulls moisture out, so a closed room feels fresher.

There’s no sense swapping one noise for another. When you’re choosing equipment for a bedroom, ask about these:

1. Indoor sound levelLook at the lowest fan figure in decibels. Bedroom-friendly models go down into the low twenties.
2. Outdoor placementAway from your own and neighbours’ windows, ideally on the ground on anti-vibration feet.
3. Sensible sizingA correctly sized unit can tick over gently instead of roaring to catch up.

Heathrow has run schemes over the years that help some nearby homes with acoustic glazing, ventilation or loft insulation. Whether your address qualifies depends on noise contours that change from time to time, so check directly with Heathrow before you plan any building work.

If you are having new windows fitted under a scheme, it is worth mentioning when you book your survey. The installer can plan the pipe route around the new frames rather than through them.