Simple poll about air conditioning

[DawnM]

We do have central A/C and use it quite often.  

We owned 2 houses in CA without central A/C.  We used a swamp cooler.  It was fine most of the time.

[DawnM]

16 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

I have no idea.  The summers here are mild (up to about 88-90F / 31-32c) and breezy with plenty of shade around us.  If there is AC we haven't had to turn it on.  I have ceiling fans and open windows for warm days.

 

Do you know if you have heat?  

 

[HomeAgain]

2 hours ago, DawnM said:

 

Do you know if you have heat?  

 

Quite well. ?  The winters are cold.  Our heat runs through radiators and a gas stove.  That stove was the saving grace when we had some long power outages.  Whether there is an ac system set up and working, I have no idea, though.

[SKL]

We have it.  When I was young, we didn't and I was used to that, but now I'm used to having it.  Might be age, might just be I'm spoiled.  I don't like to have to work to keep cool.

[mom@shiloh]

We don't have it.  We have a brick house with plaster walls and lots of huge trees which keeps us in shade. We are strategic about opening windows and blinds.  Everything gets opened up at night and we have a fan running on the 3rd floor to pump in cool air. All windows get shut during the day, and the blinds get pulled down where the sun comes in.  We have 32 windows in our house, so it's actually very time consuming, but I don't think it would be worthwhile to pay the higher electric bill for AC.  We also have an in-ground pool, so when it's super hot, we jump in right before bed to cool off before sleeping.  Also, the kid's bedrooms are in the well insulated basement, so they stay pretty cool down there anyway.  It works, but it takes effort. 

[DawnM]

29 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

Quite well. ?  The winters are cold.  Our heat runs through radiators and a gas stove.  That stove was the saving grace when we had some long power outages.  Whether there is an ac system set up and working, I have no idea, though.

 

Surely you can tell if you have a switch on the wall?  Is your house purchased?  It would have been one of the amenities listed if you had one.  I understand not using it, I didn't when I lived in the PNW, but I don't understand not knowing what your house has or doesn't have.  

[wintermom]

I'm in Canada, and our central a/c  is linked in with our central heating. It's a different unit, but uses the same duct work. The heating gets a lot more use than the a/c. We use the a/c mostly to deal with the humidity in the air, because it rarely gets really hot.

[HomeAgain]

2 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Surely you can tell if you have a switch on the wall?  Is your house purchased?  It would have been one of the amenities listed if you had one.  I understand not using it, I didn't when I lived in the PNW, but I don't understand not knowing what your house has or doesn't have.  

We rent.  And honestly, we were so thrilled with finding a year-round rental in a tourist area (where summer rentals are insanely priced) that we didn't think about it.  As far as switches.....lol.  My house was built with several....quirks.  We have at least 8 different thermometer things on the walls (one for each room, two in the upstairs hall we haven't figured out, and none of them let us reset them), the outlets are all upside down (except one in the kitchen), and we finally found out how to reset the breaker in the bathroom with a switch hidden in the cabinet under the sink.  If we do buy I'll find out, but our bigger thrill was finding out that the house was wired for a generator. 

[Lady Florida.]

12 hours ago, Caclcoca said:

This made me laugh because I am the exact opposite. I would much rather deal with 100 degree plus temperatures than the cold. I don't like to leave the house if it gets down to +35. I cannot imagine living with winters as cold as yours. I am a cold weather wimp. We do have central heat and air in our house. 

 

12 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

This is me. In 90+, as long as I have a fan, on any type, close by, I am good.  But get me in the 35 to 40 range, and I am ready to curl up on the couch with 5 blankets and hibernate.  

Add me to that list. I have had to deal with no a/c when we've lost power during hurricanes. Although I hate it I'd still choose it over cold temperatures. One year when I was still teaching the school a/c went out during pre-planning. While getting my classroom ready I just kept telling myself to pretend I was a teacher during Florida's pioneer days. Of course schools at that time would have been built like the cracker houses to make the best of rare breezes. 

[twovetteslater]

Central Air and ceiling fans in every bedroom and living room. We're remodeling the kitchen and will be losing the fan in there.

We're in Iowa and have already had hot weather. The heat index rose to 102* two days ago.

Edited May 29, 2018 by twovetteslater

[Arcadia]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

 We have at least 8 different thermometer things on the walls (one for each room, two in the upstairs hall we haven't figured out, and none of them let us reset them)

 

It could be a split aircon system. My previous home has a thermostat control for each room but can be overriden at the main control so none of the individual thermostat can be adjusted. It was a wall mounted air con system so each room has an air con unit that was mounted high up on the wall. 

Ours was something like this link http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/products/indoor-units/wall-mounted

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, twovetteslater said:

 

We're in Iowa and have already had hot weather. The heat index rose to 102* two days ago.

Although we get hot and humid weather and it lasts much longer than in other parts of the country, we actually rarely get those deadly 100+ temperatures that often occur in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states in summer (and Texas and the SW states, though their humidity is often lower than ours). It's also rare to find homes, government offices, and businesses without central air. When we do get high temperatures it's not as dangerous as in those states as long as you heed the warnings to stay indoors as much as possible during the hottest hours. 

Mother Nature ignores calendar dates with our summer usually running from May to October, and during the rest of the year we can get temperatures in the 80s but with lower humidity. Typical summer temperatures run in the 90s with the humidity rarely going below mid-70%.  

Typical winters mean 60s - 70s in the daytime and 40s - 60s at night. Cold spells rarely last more than a few days to a week and some years we go a whole winter without a freeze. Every five years or so we get extended cold temperatures. That's when the rest of the country laughs at us for complaining about temperatures they think is nothing, but as I said upthread our homes are built to keep heat out, not in. The longer a cold spell (or worse, a freeze) lasts the harder it is to warm the house and keep it warm. There are often news stories about space heater fires during those times and we get frequent reminders about how to use them safely (though thankfully newer ones have many more safety features than the old kind).

 

[alisoncooks]

I can't imagine not having AC (in NC). I told my oldest about this thread, and some people not having central air, and she asked "Is that legal?"  LOL. 

We have central air, ceiling fans in every room, plus we all sleep with tabletop oscillating fans in our rooms. We like to be cool. ?

[Bluegoat]

On a related note, although home AC is unusual here, it's common in malls and offices and such, and it's a real pain to try and dress so I won't boil or freeze in one place or the other.

[Pawz4me]

2 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

I can't imagine not having AC (in NC). 

In Boone and the surrounding high country areas they probably do fine w/o it. I wouldn't want to try it anywhere else, though.

 

5 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

On a related note, although home AC is unusual here, it's common in malls and offices and such, and it's a real pain to try and dress so I won't boil or freeze in one place or the other.

I carry a sweater with me almost all the time in the summer. Restaurants in particular tend to be freezing. I suppose they're trying to keep their kitchen and wait staff comfortable, but it gets chilly when you're sitting doing nothing.

[Kassia]

37 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

 

 

I carry a sweater with me almost all the time in the summer. Restaurants in particular tend to be freezing. I suppose they're trying to keep their kitchen and wait staff comfortable, but it gets chilly when you're sitting doing nothing.

 

I do this, too.  Restaurants and grocery stores are uncomfortably cold!  DH telecommutes now, but he used to wear long sleeves to work all year because the building he worked in was so cold all the time.  

[kitten18]

17 hours ago, Margaret in CO said:

You can always put on another layer! Besides, when it that's cold, the sun is out. We can be outside in shirt sleeves as long as we're in the sun!

Yes, and you can stay warm for a long time working outside. But if it’s 100 degrees when you step outside, you’re instantly hot and I hate working when I’m hot. 

[Lady Florida.]

5 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

 

 

I carry a sweater with me almost all the time in the summer. 

I keep one in the car at all times. Dh calls it my restaurant sweater but it's also for medical appointents, stores, etc. Just about any building keeps the a/c too cold. 

[Lady Florida.]

4 hours ago, Kassia said:

 

 DH telecommutes now, but he used to wear long sleeves to work all year because the building he worked in was so cold all the time.  

I should have multi-quoted but mine does this too. There is a lot of computer equipment where he works (space industry) so they keep the temperature well below comfortable. He says it's especially bad when he works swing shift or midnight to 8 am because there's no body heat from other people. It's just him there and he doesn't generate enough heat on his own to stay warm. ? 

[freesia]

I put the no with fan/a/c option.  We add a window unit almost every year, though.  We started with just our bedroom and, when the kids were small, we just hung out there when it was hot.  As they got bigger, we added one that cools our kitchen/living room/ dining room (we have a split level).  Then the boys room b/c it was the hottest, then dd's room.  I think someone gave us another one last fall, so other dd will probably get one next.  However, we try not to use the bedroom ones during the day and the office and family room don't have any air conditioning.  So, I feel we are kind of in between. The main room we live in during hte day is fine, so we are fine.

I grew up with central from age 6 on.  I really like central.  I feel like where I live now "pretends" it doesn't get hot enough for air conditioning, but really does.  I have friends with no air conditioning and they really suffer.  At least where I grew up (Wash DC) is fully aware that it is hot.

[gardenmom5]

we have central.  it's not needed much her in puget sound country more than two-three weeks,  but we're full west facing.   I'd have windows open at higher temps than dh (just  like my sons want the a/c in my car on at lower temps.) 

and years vary.  I recall one year it was 100 degrees on memorial day at our house (I was outside painting - I remember it well.)  this year . . . I think it reached mid 70's yesterday. (today it's 64)  and in 2009 . . . we went to the hot springs . . . every. . single . . . morning . . . (memorial day week!!!!)  there was NEW snow on the hilltops!!!!! there was more snow in the mts than in january! . . . that year, the ski resorts were open on the 4th of july.

[Bluegoat]

14 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I should have multi-quoted but mine does this too. There is a lot of computer equipment where he works (space industry) so they keep the temperature well below comfortable. He says it's especially bad when he works swing shift or midnight to 8 am because there's no body heat from other people. It's just him there and he doesn't generate enough heat on his own to stay warm. ? 

 

Ugh, I used to work in a sealed steel room with no windows, full of computer stuff, so they kept it really cold.  If they hadn't I think it would have been horribly hot, but it was freezing.  I wore my winter coat a lot of the time.  Finally they bought me a tiny ceramic heater to put under my desk by my feet.  It was a really unpleasant environment.

[Carol in Cal.]

We don't have much humidity here, but it does get really hot.  When we redid our roof about 6 years ago we had them install an attic fan.  That way we can suck the hottest air out of the attic space once it cools off after sundown, so instead of radiating heat back into the house all night it has a chance to help us cool off a bit.  It's not really enough all the time.  Eventually we will probably invest in whole house AC.  Honestly, though, if we could just sleep outside we would probably be fine--but there are too many intruders caught in our neighborhood for me to feel comfortable doing this, as our backyard is not fully fenced.  So maybe fully fencing the backyard should be the priority.

[AimeeM]

We have central AC in our home. In the house we owned before this one, central AC had been installed at some point before we bought it, even though the house itself was circa 1950-something. 

My FIL lived in a 19th century rowhome in an outskirt of Philadelphia. He had nothing but fans. Since we visited him frequently in the summer, and for longer periods of time, we eventually talked him into a portable AC unit. It was kind of nifty ?

[KrissiK]

Where live (Central Valley California) Air conditioning is not negotiable. 

[zejh]

11 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Where live (Central Valley California) Air conditioning is not negotiable. 

 

My grandmother actually lived in her first air-conditioned house during WWII, when her husband was stationed in Nevada, which I'd guess is fairly similar in terms of temperature. 

[PrincessMommy]

On 5/28/2018 at 3:18 PM, chiguirre said:

The construction in tropical Latin America usually uses bricks with big air pockets that act as insulation. The roofs on many houses are raised a bit to allow air to circulate too. Check out these pictures of slums in Caracas, they're good examples of the thick brick walls that make tropical temperatures bearable.

https://semancha.com/2013/04/06/petare-venezuela/

We moved last year from a newer (90s) wood constructed house to an older brick house.  The previous owner put in a 2nd floor (raised the roof).  He added central air when he did so.  I have found that the lower part of the house has stayed quite cool even on the hottest days.  The upstairs (since it's basically the roof) is quite hot.  Previous owner was not a structural engineer so the A/C was poorly placed.   But the lower part of the house was constructed before central A/C and having an all brick house has proven to be a plus for my A/C bill.  

The one issue it doesn't deal well with is the humidity.  I live in a humid climate and I cannot get the RH below 65% without a dehumidifier or the A/C blowing.  

[lailasmum]

No, but I'm in the UK and air conditioning in domestic houses is really rare to the point that I don't think I've ever experienced it. It's not really worth it for the relatively few days a year we really need it. Our house tends to stay pretty cool unless it's really humid which it has been the past couple of weeks and then it's usually possible to cope with a fan on though it's not exactly pleasant.  I'm glad aircon is more common in shops, offices and other public spaces though it makes a big difference in those places where people are more crammed together. 

[AngieW in Texas]

I live in Texas. I have lived here without air conditioning, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it. My dh and I rented a house for two years that had no air conditioning. The house was built before the turn of the century and there was a plaque outside that showed that it got city water in 1901. It was dirt cheap and the only thing we could afford while in school. We have pretty brutal heat here. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I have regular hot flashes, we have excellent central air and tons of fans but they still don't cut it some days.  I'm tepted to go browse the local liquor stores 40 degree beer cave daily. 

[Desert Strawberry]

We had central air put in our first summer here. I don't know how the previous owners managed, but I have heard there was originally a swamp cooler ( primitive AC) and a window unit after that. It was built in 1972 of a single layer of uninsulated cinderblock. It's basically a pizza oven. 

Our Louisiana house had no AC but was built for heat in the 1800s. It originally had an attic fan, was built off the ground, Shaded by pine trees. Sun porches. Shotgun style to allow air flow though open doors. Outdoor kitchen. The master bedroom was originally outside. 

[caedmyn]

We have central A/C, though it is pretty uncommon here.  It's a low humidity area and the temperatures typically drop into the 50s at night so most people can manage with fans and opening windows  Our house would be pretty unbearable without it though...we have a large south-facing window in the living room and there's no insulation in our roof and it can be 70 degrees outside on a sunny day and over 80 in the house.  I can't imagine how hot it would get in the house when it's 95 degrees outside if we didn't turn on the A/C.