As the UK continues to bake in a heatwave, many homeowners are searching for ways to beat the heat. However, a viral trick involving ice and a fan could lead to voided home insurance, experts warn.
Viral Trend Poses Risks
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X have been inundated with homemade cooling tricks claiming to reduce interior temperatures without needing air conditioning units. One popular method involves placing a bowl of ice or chilled water before a fan to generate cooler air circulation. While the concept has garnered considerable online interest, insurance experts caution that it could rapidly develop into a severe safety hazard should water splash onto electrical parts.
Based on Go Compare's assessment, water making contact with plugs, sockets or the fan mechanism could result in electric shock, appliance damage or potentially spark a blaze. Should the harm be determined to have stemmed from 'preventable misuse', an insurance provider might reject some or the entire home insurance claim.
Expert Warnings
Tamzin Metcalfe, home insurance specialist at Go Compare, said: "When the weather is truly unbearably hot, it's completely understandable that people will try almost anything to cool down. But you have to use your head, be sensible, and not get taken in by viral trends." She stressed that householders must "never combine water with electronics" and encouraged people to opt for safer methods of staying cool instead.
Consumer charity Electrical Safety First has also cautioned against attaching frozen towels or other damp materials to electric fans, warning that moisture reaching the motor could heighten the danger of electric shock and harm the device.
Safer Alternatives
Drawing blinds or curtains during the warmest hours can help prevent heat from entering the property without jeopardising electrical equipment or your insurance coverage. Which? found that positioning a bowl containing ice before a fan can deliver a brief cooling benefit, but notes the technique is merely a short-term fix and ought to be employed cautiously to prevent spillages.
Go Compare additionally flagged other popular heatwave practices that might create difficulties with home insurance, including leaving windows or doors ajar overnight, operating cheap unbranded electrical coolers unsupervised, and covering windows with kitchen foil, which can generate thermal stress and shatter glass.
With further warm weather anticipated, specialists suggest adhering to proven methods of maintaining cooler homes, such as drawing curtains during daylight hours, opening windows when outdoor temperatures fall, and using electrical equipment safely. These steps can help reduce indoor temperatures without generating needless hazards for your property or insurance cover.
