Hello!
As we will be landing in Toronto in a couple of months, I'm checking out the apartment rental market in Toronto. Someone in the forum has advised that we get an apartment with A/C but when looking at the rental market, there doesn't seem to be many buildings that offer A/C....
I wanted to have different opinions on this....should we definitely have A/C or can we survive without it? Does it often get over 30°C in the summer?
We currently live in Paris and the temperature in the summer here is usually between 25°C and 30°C and we're doing ok without A/C...I think for us it gets difficult when the temperature exceeds 30°C.
We just thought that if A/C is a "must" criteria, it cuts down our choices by a lot...there is also the option of a portable A/C for the really hot days...Do you know how easy it is to install portable A/C?
I'd appreciate you input on this!

I was so grateful for a/c this last summer as the humidity kills me and we had some very humid days,sorry cant help about portable a/c as ours is central

The real problem lies with the high humidity, and unless your renting next to the lake !!

I'd highly recommend it if you can get it in a rental, otherwise look out for 2nd hand air conditioners around March April.. the good ones tend disappear real quick, but having said that a new one is probably going to be quieter anyway

This summer we had 40 days over 30 degrees C here in the Toronto area. But it's not the heat, it's the humidity and its effect is to push the effective temp to well over the 40's. We hold off using a/c as long as possible and rely on fans particularly at night in our bedroom (a/c is very expensive to run). That's the worst time, trying to get some sleep. You can get window or portable air conditioners. In fact many apartments have the window type.

Bear in mind that this summer was unusually hot and muggy.

Bottom Line - if you want to have a good night's sleep - then yes!!!!!!!!!!!!

Otherwise in an apt. building you'll find that it gets soooo hot as heat does rise if I remember correclty ........ it becomes unbareable.

Most immigrants come to Canada looking for improved quality of life. In Toronto, get air conditioned housing, or you won't have a decent life at all in the summertime.

Portables are OK at a pinch, especially if you are deaf.

Well...I guess it's unanimous...go for the A/C!!! Thanks for the advice!

You dont need to find an apartment with AC, but you do need to find one where you can add a self contained "through the wall" or window unit or two yourself if need be.

Some places have built in AC vent boxes through the wall so its "easy" to do, but be aware that the size of the standard "through the wall" units changed when certain refrigerants were banned (this is what the sears guy told me anyway), and the current lot of non window units designed to go in these slots are actually slightly larger than the old ones.

This caught me out as my old apartment had the old size box...I ended up having to fit a smaller window type unit in it, which was not ideal, it really wasnt large enough to do the job. Id have been better off just fitting a few in the windows with hindsite.

I guess the point is find out if you can actually get a through the wall unit for whatever size sleeve is fitted when you are checking out appartments if you want to go that way.

Fitting a window unit in window is in theory no big deal, but Im not at all sure how you go about it if you live on the 20th floor without risking dropping it on some unfortunate below

Life without AC would be pretty unpleasant after a while (although lots of cold beer helped) We used to sleep with the windows open and a fan blowing from side to side. Pretty sticky, life with central air is much cushier.

We don't have air conditioning though we did in rental apartments. I don't recall turning it on when we had it. I think it's rude to have air conditioning for a house, the units kick up a ruckus similar to a powered lawn mower (another vulgarity no one in the city needs) so the desire of the owners to live in a year round winter climate is met at the expense of the neighbours who want to sit outside without earplugs.

ffs people, it's cold eight months of the year, enjoy what warmth there is.

"Enjoy" is the keyword there. Sitting on the deck with a cold beer while gently sweating is quite enjoyable. Trying to get to sleep while sweating like a pig isn't.

They gone yet?

Thusly do I remember with "fondness" the nights where the room temperature in my bedroom was over 29 degrees. Sadly this had nothing to do with physical exercise.

I try to keep the AC off as much as possible, but when your house/ apartment resembles a sweat box this isn't much fun. I do remember having condensation on the outside of the windows one day :scared:

This afternoon. I have high hopes for the evening.

Ah yes. Flop into the chair. Belch, fart and say "bollo*ks". I'm sure that's what you have in mind.

Its not just the heat, its the humidity. No home should be without it!

Newer buildings will have central A/C and older buildings won't. You will see window unit A/C's hanging out of most of those older buildings because of this. They aren't the most efficient, but then the hydro is included in your rent so you won't be paying for the electricity yourself.

Personally, I couldn't live without it as I can't stand heat. Last summer was nice, only 3 days over 30 degrees, but as someone else point out this summer was long and oppressive with over 40 days of 30+ degree temps. I hated it. We moved to a house a year ago and the power bill was pretty steep to keep the A/C on, but without it I would have melted (I work at home). As it was, I moved my office down to the basement for the worst of the summer as the 2nd floor just couldn't get cooled enough.