Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

The husband and I thought we could manage without air conditioning in the house we just moved into, as some neighbours in our area in New England seem to live quite easily without it.

But the past few weeks have really tested our resolve, with temperatures over 90F and high humidity every day, with no relief. It's all supposed to change this weekend and cool down somewhat (maybe 5 degrees :huh: ) ... but it's only mid-July, so things could get worse.

Do you have AC? Could you live without it if you had to? It seems such a norm here.

If you do manage without AC, is it difficult in the dead of summer? Any tips for a newbie??

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

After Hurricane Ike we had no power for 10 days so I did live without it for a short miserable while. But would I want to live here without it 'No Way!' and that goes for the car too.

Make use of ceiling fans and make sure they are rotating the right direction, that helps! Solar shades on windows and hubby swears by keeping our blinds at 45 degree angle to reflect the heat, a lot of our neighbours seem to keep theirs closed!

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

I need it. Some of the older people here tell me it didn't used to get as hot as now, but it looks like the local climate will continue to get hotter.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

I'm in a second floor condo. Hot air rises - there's no way I could do without it. It was 93 degrees F here today. I hate the hot weather (although we don't get a lot of it here in Cleveland). I shouldn't complain - I'll be moaning about the snow in January. :lol:

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

I haven't got it but I need it, even this far north. I have got quite adept at the whole "keeping the house cool" thing, here are two tips - open all the windows at night (seems obvious but hey), get some outside blinds or awning, keep the glass in the windows cool, this helps control the interior temperature. Or if you're really hot and are willing to be tasteless, get a sheet of Reflectix and tape it to the outside of the windows when the sun is on them.

Fortunately my house has a basement.

Calgary supposedly has really weak by-laws on AC unit placement, I suppose that would be great if I had somewhere to place it, the window units are banned, I have to use the stand-up units with the hose. Works up to the high 20s but 30 C or above they're pointless.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

In the summer I need central heating rather more than air conditioning....

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

When I lived in my townhouse, my home seldom heated up beyond 70 degrees during the summer and the fog off the bay at night cooled my home to the low 60s by morning. Since the western exposure was blocked, the home didn't heat up by the afternoon sun but my natural gas bill during the coldest month in the winter could get as high as $250.

In my current condo (top floor of a mid rise), the opposite occurs since I have a western exposure and heat from the lower floors rise making me use the A/C most of the summer. Even if it doesn't get above 75 degrees outside during the day, the apartment will rise to over 80 and never get below 73 over night even with the doors and windows open and the fog cooling the outside temperature to below 60 degrees. My heating system is of little use during the winter since the apartment seldom gets below 70 degrees.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

Living close to a foggy coast and surrounded by redwoods I certainly don't need it, if I lived a couple of miles inland I would though.

Chilly as it sometimes can be, I'll take it over boiling hot and humid any day.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

Couldn't manage without it here. Too many 90'+ days. We use the ceiling fans and have double glazing. That helps. The windows seem to be coated with something as well.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

It gets into the high 80s / low 90s here for a couple of months. Two things make it bearable. One is that the humidity is low. It's 90F at the moment but only 30% humidity. The other is that because of altitude it gets a lot cooler at night. The low for tonight is 46F.
If we had air con, it would be off for 10 months of the year.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

Couldn't live without it. We have double glazing which have a coating and are also in an Energy Star home which helps. We also have plantation shutters in most rooms which also seen to help block out heat.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

2 weeks ago we had temps between 110 - 115 - so no, couldn't do without it..... mind you, that was exceptional.

Normally at this time of the year it's in the 90's somewhere.....

The aircon is set to come on when the house is 82 degrees - which is considerably higher than our friends and neighbors.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

Phooking right.

We've got window units now and they do. Our last place had central and it was lovely.

Living without AC is utterly miserable in this humidly hot state. Maine isn't any better, the areas we were in at least.

Window fans don't do anything and there's no cool breeze in leaving windows open.

Ceiling fans do help, but they need to be going the right way.

Without it, spend a lot of time at friends who have it.
Go tot he mall, eat out because there's nothing worse than having to cook and heating the place out.
Go to the library....or anywhere else with AC.
Open windows after 11pm and close them first thing in the morning.

It's past 10pm at the moment and still above 80F out...and sweaty snot out.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

Couldn't live without it but we have ours set at 78 / 79 / 80 so it just takes the edge off the heat and humidity without frying our elec bill and the environment.

Re: Is air conditioning essential where you live?--or can you do without it?
 

I don't really care for AC but couldn't survive the summers without it...especially at night.