It's only just the first week of July and already we've experienced heat waves across the country. You've probably heard about it from your Twitter and Facebook friends. You've probably also noticed the rise in articles about whether air conditioning is a saving grace or just plain bad. Living in the midwest I've experienced the extreme swings of heat and cold, nonetheless, I know where I stand on the issue — what about you?
I am thankful for air conditioning. Like many other technologies, air conditioning is something that I'm glad to have access to on a crazy hot summer day, and I realize that it's beneficial to many people and things, such as the train so that I don't arrive at work a sopping sweaty mess.
However, I generally am not a huge fan. It's loud and I don't necessarily like how it feels — it's an unnatural feeling of cool. Once it's on, usually I revert to be too cold. I grew up without air conditioning and have lived without it most of my life until moving into my current home. And I survived, no big deal. Most, if not all, of the places I've lived have had either ceiling fans or portable fans, or both, which I love. I much prefer the feeling of moving air, breezes, and natural ventilation if possible.
Air conditioning seems to be taken advantage of and is overused. Working in the architecture field, I know though, that much of our air conditioner use is in response to the way structures are built and the climates they're built in. Nowadays rather than utilizing climate-responsive design, buildings are going up all over the country that look and function exactly the same without any regard to the local climate.
I also believe that air conditioning use is a cycle. The more you use it, the more you need it, the more it stays on. You never adjust to the natural air temperature, so the heat feels hotter, and the conditioned air feels more necessary.
Where do you fall on the air condition spectrum? Keep it on, off, or somewhere in between?
More on the pros and cons of air conditioning across the web:
• Your Air Conditioner Makes You Fat [Treehugger]
• Air Conditioning Makes You Weak [Gawker]
• Counterpoint: Air Conditioning Makes You Cool and Strong Like Fonzie [Gawker]
• Should Air-Conditioning Go Global, or Be Rationed Away? [The New York Times]
• Is Air Conditioning a Human Right? The New York Times Debates the Question [Treehugger]
• Air Conditioning is a Symptom of Our Inflated Entitlement Complex [Treehugger]
(Image: Zsolt, Biczó/Shutterstock)
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• Top 5 Ways to Lower Your A/C Use
• Good Questions: A/C Or The Highway?
• Who Gets Control of the Air Conditioner at Your House?
• 10 Ways To Save Energy When Air Conditioning Is A Must
• 5 Unexpected Benefits to Forgoing the Air Conditioner
• Live Without: An Air Conditioner
• 9 Tricks to Beat the Heat (Without Turning Up the AC)
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i like not being ill from the humidity. air conditioning is my friend.
Our air quality isn't very good today due to wild fires that have been burning up the west. I sit outside every evening and listen to the birds but I won't be doing that today. Without AC to screen out particulates I would be using my nebulizer.
I like having an air conditioner (and prefer central air to window or wall units), but I do not particularly like air conditioning. We are fortunate enough to have a house that is well-sheilded from direct sunlight on most outer walls for the majority of the day, and can get away with having the doors and windows thrown open with the ceiling fans running most of the time. We only close up and turn on the air conditioning for an hour or so at a time, when it is needed.
Thanks to our thick old walls, we don't really need AC until it gets really hot outside.
I don't think I ever turned on AC last yr when it was relatively cool through out the summer months. I do have to admit though, there is nothing like walking out of a nice cool shower into a nice cool room that has been air conditioned.
My next door neighbor guy has his AC on all the time...even when it's pretty cool outside.
I keep it set above 80 degrees, so the house has to become very uncomfortable before it clicks on. outdoor air quality is a factor. Other members of my family will turn it lower in order to have a sweatless sleep, but not often.
I love it and I hate it. I am a miserable crank in the extreme heat and living in New England, we get lots of humidity. I wanted AC dearly this weekend at my brother's outdoor wedding, where I was dressed nicely and pictures were being taken. But I also grew up without it and I like having the windows open. But my bedroom is in what used to be the attic of our house and it's simply not conducive to sleep in the hot weather. So, AC. But then our cats get shut out of the bedroom all night when usually, they snuggle. Meh, AC.
We keep our A/C set pretty warm mainly because we're cheap bastards rather than being environmentally friendly. Our bedroom sits between 79 and 80 in the summer and between 66-68 in the winter and that's just fine with us.
However, we lost power this weekend and had to retreat to the basement to sleep. The a/c kicking back on finally was a welcome relief. Pre-air conditioning homes were built differently and people had other habits. I've read that families used to camp out in local parks on Capitol Hill (D.C.) when it became too hot to sleep inside. That sounds pretty awesome to me.
We have 2 rolling units we affectionately call dialects. These move between our two offices and the bedroom as needed. They are set at 82...... Unfortunately our upstairs has ZERO cross ventilation possibilities.
I like air conditioning but prefer fresh air. My landlord insisted on installing a window unit which i have yet to turn on. Fans work pretty well. and nothing beats a lake breeze.
Living in Houston, A/C is a necessity of life. The humidity plus the heat is a killer for me. I am a cold sleeper and can't seem to get comfortable sleeping on nights that barely get down to 80 degrees. While I hate that most office buildings are sub-70 degrees and way over-airconditioned, I prefer to keep my house around 75 in the summer and upper 60s in the winter. Now, when it comes to visiting family and friends in the midwest and canada during the summer, the night's get delightful and I can go without the A/C because of that overnight respite from the heat.
In south Louisiana, AC is pretty much necessary. But I'm a bit cheap and leave it around 78 when I'm home and push it above 80 when I'm not. I found I came home to a beeping smoke alarm when I shut the air off completely in the summer when not home. Best move -- good insulation.
As a cultural issue, I find it a bit troubling. Moving from the city where many of our neighbors didn't have air conditioning, the streets would become alive during the warmer month as people looked for relief on their front stoops. I've recently moved to a suburb that has the same urban feel but the number of residents with air conditioning is a lot higher. In the new neighborhood, it is rare to see anyone hanging outside after mid June. I suspect I won't see them again until September when it starts to cool. Then they'll head back inside once winter arrives. Disclaimer, I do have central air but I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible - even on the brutally hot days.
To all the people here who don't like AC, I'm curious about where you live. Here in Chicago, if I didn't have AC then my clothes and furniture would simply be soaked in sweat every summer. Living on the 1st floor I can't imagine having to run around and open/close blinds/windows umpteen times a day so my house doesn't get broken into either while I'm gone. Even having only a few windows open in my condo only really works up to the upper 70's, with no humidity, no cooking in the kitchen, and a strong breeze. Knock any of those out of the equation and I couldn't deal with it, although admittedly I'm always the first one to become a sweaty mess at the drop of a hat.
Air conditioning isn't something I'm willing to compromise on. I hate the bills as much as anyone else, but we get a lot of sunlight, which I like until the heat gets to 101. And after three days without air conditioning and 100 degree days, I'm thankful that I'll have it again. It's a necessary expense to avoid discomfort and illness. We leave ours around 75.
all well and good until you live in a place with extreme heat/humidity...i.e. the South. The sort of place where old people die in the summer cause it's too hot. A place where opening the window just means more hot sweaty air instead of "fresh breezes." Being overheated and sweaty means bad sleep and lethargy b/c doing any sort of activity is exhausting. Could this be alleviated with better home design? No idea...all I know is it's unbearable otherwise.
I live in Chicago, and grew up without and mostly dislike AC. Fans and open windows usually will suffice. Now, I have a condo with several wall units. I try to avoid using them, but with a solid week with the heat index at 100, I've been putting them on low now and again. Mostly because, being in a condo, we only have east facing windows, so not much of a cross ventilation. But when I use the AC, I get uncomfortable quickly so I'm always turning them low and running fans.
@Duane Hill - I don't know how anyone could feel better sitting outside in brutally hot days. What if a group of neighbors congregated at one person's house to play board games and enjoy the cool air conditioning? Wouldn't this be just as great as people gathering outdoors?
I'm not a huge fan of air conditioning as I like natural air, especially at night, but I have bunnies as indoor pets. They cannot handle air warmer than 80 degress without being very uncomfortable so air con it is.
I absolutely despise it - bring on the heat! I really honestly don't get it, but, alas, I am stuck with it, at work, at home, it's the worst. I much rather have the windows open and the gentle breeze come through, but it's almost never in my control - so I get to wear my sweaters, sweats, and use extra blankets year round (maybe its bonus?), plus the ever useful reason to complain. What else is a freeze baby like me to do?
No way on God's green earth am I willingly giving up air conditioning when I live in an area that has summers with multiple days > 105F and the nights almost never drop below 90F. And let's be honest, since I sweat more easily than most thanks to genetics, I wouldn't give it up unless I lived where temps NEVER got above 90F and didn't have high humidity.
On the other hand, when winter rolls around I'll only turn on the heat to protect my water pipes. I detest the way the heater dries everything out and aggravates my sinuses. Plus, I don't mind bundling up.
My body doesn't regulate it's own temperature very well so I tend to go towards extremes temperature wise and can faint or get sick if I get too hot, so for me air conditioning is a must. Most places in the south have it. The humidity here can be oppressive and there aren't a lot of breezes unless you live on the shore.
In Cape Cod where my family has a beach house there isn't AC and some nights it is ridiculously hard to sleep, PLUS the windows are always open so the humidity inside the house is high so blankets, furniture, rugs, etc. tend to feel damp and mold. I HATE that. I wish there was AC up there.
Also, our AC is quiet. Far quieter than opening the windows would be in our neighborhood. It also prevents allergens.
I am soooo glad I had a new system installed last year the old one could not keep up it took 10 hours working for 1 degree cooler temp.
This one has 2 compressors, today I hear it kick in a couple of times already I have mine set at 76 during the day.
@PI, it can be good but there is a creative dynamic with the unstructured gathering of people that can't be repeated indoors unless you give an open invite to all your neighbors.
Jane Jacobs has this great book called "The Death and Live of Great American Cities" where she describes this dynamic of "street life". She doesn't delve into the use of air conditioning but I suspect that if she was alive today it would be a topic. I definitely recommend it.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Cities-Anniversary-Edition-Library/dp/0679644334
Today is SO not the day to ask this, as thousands swelter for the third day without power in a heat wave. It's an uncomfortable inconvenience for me, but there have been heat-related deaths here.
If you are too cold, set the damn thing higher, er... lower, whatever--75+ is a good temp.
Also, since most of your readers are in urban areas, opening windows is just not realistic when you consider noise pollution and air pollution.
Fresh air is great if everyone lived in a super temperate climate where it never went above 75 degrees all year long. Humidity and heat require air conditioning, even in locales where you wouldn't think it would be an issue.
Furthermore, how about allergies? I know some folks who are allergic to air conditioning, and others whose outdoor allergies require that they have air conditioning all year long. Do what works best for you.
People survived in the South before air conditioning and yes, houses were designed to maximize passive cooling through cross ventilation, large windows, high ceilings, and big front porches.
Our 1960's ranch does not have central air, but living in New England we do need a window unit sometimes. We have a fairly shaded yard, so we keep the house closed up during the day when we are at work- it usually stays cool enough for our dogs to be perfectly happy with just a couple fans blowing on their favorite sleeping spots- and its still comfortable when we come home. At night we have a window unit that gets turned on in the bedroom to be able to sleep comfortably.....but only when the temps rise above 85...otherwise its a fan.
Well, I'm in San Diego and grew up without air conditioning; my husband grew up in Chicago with it. While I tolerate the heat really well, my husband, toddler son and French bulldog do not, so we click it on whenever it gets above 85 degrees. Since it usually cools down at night, we tend to turn it off and just open all the windows.
We'll I would prefer to live where it's 80F or less all summer, but since that's not my reality, I'm an AC girl all the way. I keep it on and at 76F unless the outside air temp falls lower than that.
@duane hill - Agreed. I try to get my family out in the summer months instead of being indoors with AC all day - sunsreen, hat, well hydrated. If you know your home + area well, you'll be able to find a shady cool spot somewhere. We will sit on the steps - front or back if needed. The kids loved the ice cream van coming by, which we always used.
Luckily in 2011, Sydney barely had a summer because of the unusual wet weather. In 2010, we were lucky my Parents lived up the road so the kids slept there on nights when it was unbearable but my Fiance and I stayed home with our awesome big retro fan.
Air conditioning is a definite requirement in Phoenix in the summer. And I've lived here all my life, so I've never really given it much thought. However, I do try to leave it off for as long as possible, as I prefer an open window when it's nice outside. One up side though is we hardly ever have to use heat. I think I only turned the heater on once last winter when it got particularly cold one day.
When I was a kid in Toronto I often slept at my friend's house on unbearably hot nights. They had a fabulous second floor screened sleeping porch at the back of the house. The other alternative was hanging out with the spiders in the basement. Not the best choice after watching giant bug movies! Now in Vancouver I live in a (mostly) spiderless basement apartment that usually nice and cool unless it stays hot out all night, not a regular occurrence. While visiting hot and humid Ottawa one summer the only place I was comfortable was in air conditioned spaces or out in the countryside next to a lake you just jump in whenever needed. At my cabin I'm surrounded by trees and it stays cool most of the time. There's a lot to be said for cross ventilation and the coolest spot is in the shade with moving air. Sometimes swamp coolers are a good alternative and it surely makes sense to have some kind of solar power component for A/C.
We are on the 5th floor. Floor fans DO NOT cut the heat. It gets into the 90's and low 100's here (I'm in the hottest part of the North West). AC keeps this English Rose from wilting into butter. I don't take heat well, especially since my body temp runs too hot as it is. We recently had a new AC unit installed since the last one from 1980 died, and it has a en energy saving option. The apartment stays lovely and cool and our electric bill is only about $30-40 a month!
I live in the midwest. Growing up, my mom was the one who really obsessed not having the air on. I HATED it. I had bad allergies, and remember lying in my bed (upstairs, mind you) with windows wide open,sweating with a stuffy nose trying to get to sleep. My allergies don't bother me as often anymore...now we live in an upstairs apartment with old windows. The ones in the living room are tall crankouts, with no way of putting in an a/c and that don't allow for a good breeze to come in. Bedroom windows have NO screens. In fact, the whole building doesn't have any screens on the bedroom windows, and our landlords have already tried to sell the building, so no hope of getting them in. We have a window a/c in each of our 2 bedrooms, and fans to help blow the air towards the living room. I have two kids under 3, and its pretty necessary because I don't want them to overheat and I'm also a pretty "warm" person. With the crazy temps and our a/c set up, its still hovering around 80 in our living room... :(
@mattab I currently live in Chicago, but right off of the lake. I could survive with just a fan and some open windows where I am- but since I have a job and prefer to be comfortable I run my window AC units pretty regularly.
I lived for a while in Southern California, and AC would have been nice to have about 2 days a year, a portable heater was more useful in the summer months at night than an air conditioner would have been.
I also lived for a while in Ohio, which was about the same as Chicago is, perhaps a little warmer and definitely more humid. I didn't have AC there, but it would have been nice on summer nights.
I am from Houston where there is no question about whether you like it or not. There would have been no Houston if it weren't for air conditioning, it is a necessity. Even the poorest housing conditions there still had AC, but I think you could get by with out AC in the car as long as you had the windows open.
I have recently purchased a mini split air conditioner, which I haven't yet gotten around to installing, but it looks like it will be a nice change from the window units for the noise (interior) program-ability and energy efficiency. I'm looking forward to it!
Yes people did live without A/C but there was less humidity since there was less irrigation. Farmers just relied on the weather most of the time. Now with all the irrigation humidity has become such an evil. I work outside in the midwest and I was dripping sweat by 9:30 this morning, I have already had heat exhaustion this year, so yes I love A/C.
Coming home last night about 10:30 pm, I saw 3 digital temp. signs that said 93 and 1 that said 94 degrees. Today it's relatively cool, only 104, for a July afternoon. This is Phoenix. There is no way I'd willingly give up my A/C and ceiling fans.
Now about heating: I read about the high winter heating bills in parts of the U.S. and just don't get it. Why don't people simply dress more warmly, put on a fleecy jacket and knit hat at home? Save money and natural resources! I bet I didn't turn on my heat 3 times all last winter.
Yep, that last paragraph is intended as sarcasm.
My parent's central AC died over the weekend. Unlike a lot of people in the DC area, they still have power, but no AC. With windows open and ceiling fans going, the temperature inside the house ranges from 83 degrees (bearable) to 90 degrees in the bedroom (unbearable). My mother grew up in Memphis with no air conditioning and lived in India with no air conditioning. Sure she lived through it then, but that was a long time ago and she's over 60 now and no AC during a heat wave is as much a health risk as it is a matter of comfort.
our new home has window units. it is nice to not feel bad to switch them on and off as opposed to the central air of our old home. i can cool the downstairs down for an hour or so and feel fine the rest of the day.
at night our row home though get's very sweltering upstairs so we sleep with a unit on.
I could never have imagined what it would be like to live in a place where air condition was an 'option' until I met my in-laws who live up north. While they can have their "hot" days, it would always cool down at night.
I'm from North Padre Island, Texas (or Corpus...) where the humidity earned the city a rank of #2 in the 'most uncomfortable cities' category ( http://www.livescience.com/828-sweatiest-cities-america.html ) and #6 in 'most sweatiest cities' category.
I love me some AC!
AC is essential to sleep in NYC, even next to lush and fresh Fort Tryon Park.
However, during the day, the breeze and a fan may work fine.
That's how I did it a month ago when it was 40.
I understand other people's need for AC but I don't like its unnatural almost metallic feel. It's okay for 10-15 minutes and then I just can't handle it. AC aggravates my asthma and allergies and I think that is due to poorly-maintained HVAC systems in office buildings, malls, etc. I have a problem with central heat in the winter as well. I need to move to a place that has only one (mild to cool) climate. Don't suggest San Francisco, it's too cold and damp!!
I'm in between, as I'm also one of those people who is always cold. Anything below 76 degrees has me feeling a bit chilly. I do live in the South and I do find having the AC on in the summer an essential. The warm temperatures don't bug me much - it's the humidity and mugginess, that actually gets to me. And the AC helps with that.
Another benefit of using AC is that it does control the temperature and the humidity somewhat within the house, and that helps in regards to the longevity of things like clothing, paper documents, wood furniture, etc. There are reasons why you would want a temperature and humidity controlled storage unit.
I didn't grow up with it and we always managed to survive. But, it's good for sometimes.
We have a lovely breeze that blows through our end-unit condo. However, when there's no wind or it's excessively humid, it's stifling. Until recent years, we only had the AC on for a couple of weeks each summer. Then, due to 2 babies born in the summer and asthma flare-ups, we started using it more. Our AC unit is 35 years old, however, so when it dies, it may take a while to save up for a new one!
I have 2 homes. One in NYC and one in Florida. On the chance I am in NY during the winter on a really cold day. I turn the heat on. If it is July in Florida the AC is going. I don't turn my nose up at one over the other. The technology is there and we should use it. I do believe it using it responsibly though. For example. I don't leave the house with it running and we don't keep ac at a glacial temperature (normally 78 or 79 degrees). When the weather is moderate to warm we throw open windows and utilize the cross ventilation that is available in both homes. I also think that given the way going green is becoming more abundant, folks will be able to better insulate new homes and older homes and install more energy efficient systems. The industry has to figure a way to make it more cost effective and if it becomes more reasonable I certainly feel more homes should have HVAC systems. It has been shown to save the lives of folks and it extends the life of furniture, paint, decreases mold development. There are more pros than cons to have A/C IMO.
My grandmother was born in a log cabin and learned to cook on a wood-burning stove. She lived over 90 years and had all the modern conveniences and had flown on planes by the end of her life (what an extreme 90 years). Of all the gadgets and new amenities she encountered in her long life-time, she said it was air conditioning that she would not live without again. I have a love/hate relationship with the AC. Hate the cost both out of pocket and the environment but living in the Southeast, it's hard to imagine life without it. Our roughly hundred year old home with high ceilings, tall windows and wide eaves stays cooler than a lot of new ones would but it still gets unbearably hot if the outside temps are extreme. Still, there's a reason summer is one of my least favorite seasons, it's as much of a shut-in situation down here as it is in the midst of winter in other parts of the world.
Constantly turning mine on and off......and it's set at 82, usually. Waiting for the first summer gas/electric bills in my loft in DC. Yikes!
Air conditioning is one of my greatest foes. I usually let it get up to 85 degrees or so in my apartment before actually turning the AC on. My husband and I would both rather rely on fans (especially box fans in the windows!) than switch on the AC. I completely agree that air conditioning feels too unnatural- AND that it's too noisy. Because of this heat wave in Chicago, we've had the air conditioning on... but it's set at 80.
What an absurd post. Lots of traffic tho, eh?
I grew up without AC and survived OK without it. Hot summer nights were spent hanging outside with the other neighbourhood kids waiting for the temperature to cool. I used to love the really hot days.
Now that I'm considerably older, I find intense heat hard to tolerate and the AC hard to go without - and having had the air-con break down two summers in a row I know what that feels like. Those disasters prompted me to install ceiling fans in both bedrooms so I'm covered for anything except a major power outage. I had solar panels installed on my roof so I don't feel th financial cost of running the AC.
@Duane Hill - Yes, people survived in the South before air conditioning, well into the 20th century in fact. My mother was born in 1950, and didn't have a/c at home until she was a teenager. Yes, they used windows and fans, but the high ceiling/large window/front porch image is highly romanticized. For every house using Thomas Jefferson standards of air flow and cooling, there were dozens of tiny farm houses and cabins, many without any windows at all. Sleep on the front porch sounds like an easy, fun way to deal with heat, but it gets old after a few nights. Most of my family and friends have lived in the South without a/c for at least 2 years at some point in life. None would ever willingly live without it again. I went without for 2 years in college. Never again. It was miserable. It's damn near impossible to sleep when it's 95 degrees in your bedroom, no matter how many fans and open windows you have.
I'm a firm believer in the AC but I wish office buildings especially would not run them so cold. You only need a few minutes of super cool air to cool off once you come inside from 90+ degree weather. After that it's just overkill. I understand you have to keep it cool inside, but if it is 90+ wouldn't 80 inside feel better than 68-72? It's too drastic a change and helps people get sick from the extreme temp changes. Also, I'd rather not have to wear sweaters in the summer time. It's absurd.
I grew up in The South and often lived in houses without air conditioning and I would NEVER go without it again. Yes, you do get used to not having it but I'll gladly pay the extra expense on my utility bill each month to have it. I still live in The South and every summer there are elderly people who die because of the heat. Local charities give out fans for poor people who might not be able to afford the expense of air conditioning, but even that is not always enough. Mine is in use from May until October/November, depending on how mild the fall is. I do have a programmable thermostat and keep it set relatively high and I have ceiling fans in every room to help keep things cool.
Yep, when the temperature hit 108F on Saturday I just opened all my windows, grabbed my fan and sashayed myself out to my veranda, where I enjoyed some sweet tea and gossip with the other Southern ladies. That overwhelming heat and humidity that literally takes your breath was no match for our cool repartee. Never mind there was no such thing as a "breeze;" it just meant we got some easy weight loss from all the sweat.
Please. People are dying of hyperthermia here. Air conditioning is as much a necessity as a roof. There was a time when people didn't have refrigeration either - should we all just go back to putting our meat in the crick out back?
I don’t have AC at home. I love having open doors and windows but closed shutters. I enjoy sitting on the back porch in a deep shade. I love summer.
One thing I hate is spending all day locked in a dreadfully cold office.
Seriously? People have actually died over the last few days due to loss of electricity in this heat wave. Poorly timed post, to say the least.
It depends on where you live. I lived just fine in Southern California near the beach without AC for most of my life. Now in the Midwest and East Coast I have done it and it was purely miserable. Even then we could survive without it as youngish and healthy people. For everyone else once it reaches certain temps it's actually dangerous. I am pregnant and have two young children. For us it's beyond an comfort issue. It's a serious health concern. For my 90 year old grandmother, hers went out for a few days and I actually had the HVAC guy go out there free of charge on short notice and fix it immediately without money upfront because he knew how serious it is for someone of her age to live without AC. Let's not romanticize the good ol days or pretend that living in one area is the same as everywhere else in the country.
I live in a semi-basement apartment in my sister's house. For the most part, it's pretty comfortable down here during the summer as long as I keep my windows closed when it's humid. I don't have an air conditioner and don't plan on getting one.
I used to live in a nursing home and hated the AC there. I was constantly cold and would have to wear a jacket indoors year round. I was always thrilled when summer came because it meant I could go sit outside in the 90F temps and high humidity to get warm.
When I lived in Berlin, I went without AC because no one had it and no one needed it, except for about 3 days a year, so it was easy to abstain. And to feel righteous about it...
But a summer in New York without AC is awful! Awful, it's awful. Just awful. My father grew up in a pre-AC Bronx tenement. They sometimes slept on the roof (not advisable these days-- nor are there now enough roofs for all the people who would need to sleep there. Nor do I recommend that anyone sleep with an open window that could allow a limber person to get inside their apartment. It happens every year, with sometimes tragic consequences.)
I try to keep AC to a minimum, I agree that people get hooked and take it too far, but being hot, wet, tired and sweaty for 3-4 months is too much for me.
I live in South Florida. We get a couple months of nice weather where you can open the windows and let your house breathe. Other than that you get a few cold days(below 60 degrees it cold here) where its too cold to open up the house, but at least the AC isn't running. Or you can open the windows for a few hours during a nice summer rain shower to help cool the house down and get in the fresh air. Other than that it is 90-99 degrees and 50+% humidity, and that is no fun inside without AC.
Does anyone else live where evaporative cooling works? We have a few rolling units you fill with water and put in front of an open window. Works great!
Having no A/C or central air isn't an option, especially with it being 95 to 100+ the last couple of days.
I've always found it extremely difficult to sleep when it's hot and humid. In addition to my body being sweaty and uncomfortable, I find breathing the sticky air uncomfortable. I just can't settle into a relaxed breathing pattern. I'm so happy to go to sleep in a freezing room in the winter -- you can always just add another blanket -- but in a hot room in the summer, you can only cool yourself off so much without AC.